Seek and Find
by Chase998
Summary: SG1 is tapped to rescue a Tok'ra operative who has been captured by a selfproclaimed system lord. When Jack and Daniel are captured, Sam and Teal'c must rescue them and meet up with some of Beman's inhabitants.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The locker room was quiet, the only sound emanating from a large vent in one corner that pushed out a monotone hum of recycled air. Major Samantha Carter sat on a bench in the center of the room, her head in her hands. Her eyes were clenched beneath the heels of her palms as she tried to push back her anguish. She had lost someone under her command, and the weight of the loss bore heavily on her mind and heart.

She tried to rationalize that people sometimes die in the heat of battle. That was just the way it went. She had seen good soldiers killed in the line of duty as far back as the Gulf, long before her involvement in the Stargate program. Until now, though, she never considered the ramifications of someone dying under her command. It had never happened before, and she was not sure how to handle the emotions she felt. The SGC had been running into close quarter combat situations more frequently of late. More than once in the days following the skirmish, she tried to reason that it was simply a matter of time before something like this would have happened. She never dreamed it would have been so distressing every minute of the day.

_Don't leave me._ Her mind pounded with the soldier's words, seeing his pleading eyes as he lay bleeding. He was going to die either way. That much she knew. She had to decide whether to make it to the gate and save what team members she could or drag the man and fight against whatever was coming toward them. O'Neill was yelling, everyone was yelling. There was so much noise. She made little headway dragging Wheeler. He was built and heavy with equipment. Dirt was flying, making it hard to see. And in that instant, she let go of him.

She had left him there to die. Her hands balled into fists as she pushed them tighter against her face. She could still see the look on his face as she dropped her grip on his vest. Even after a week off from missions, the image was clear, haunting her with every step she took in the SGC thereafter. Nearly anything triggered it. More and more, Sam found herself seeking someplace quiet where she could quell the emotions raging inside her. So far, the locker room was the most consistently empty since the SGC was comprised of a mostly male staff. At least here she could be alone, the sign on the door admonishing men from entering unannounced.

There was a knock, and she quickly rubbed at her eyes, trying to compose herself into something acceptable. She couldn't afford to have doubt cast upon her command abilities – not now with a recent promotion and what was expected of a decorated officer.

She reached down and began tightening the laces on her boots. "Come in."

The door opened, framing Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG-1's commanding officer. "Carter?"

"I'll be right there, sir," she said, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Anise, er Freya . . . " He shook his head in slight frustration. "Well, whoever the hell she is today – just came through the gate with her entourage. They're waiting in the briefing room with Hammond."

Sam nodded. "I'm just finishing up, sir. I'll be there in a minute."

There was an uncomfortable silence as O'Neill stood there. He finally stepped through the doorway and carefully sat down on the bench near her. He rested his elbows on his knees, folding his hands. "You okay?"

She feigned another lace being tightened. "I'm fine, sir. Just running a little late today."

His voice was low and calm, soothing and without accusation. "Y'know, word has it you've been on edge since P3X324."

She straightened then, not in the mood for psychoanalysis. She stared straight ahead at her locker, not daring to look at him. If she did, she was sure he would see the truth in her eyes. An ironic laugh escaped her, her head shaking. "Not exactly the best of missions, was it, sir?"

"No," he answered. "Kinda took us all by surprise."

Her elbows rested on her knees now, as well, as she rubbed absently at her right hand. She could feel Jack staring at her, not liking the tension it created. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him she was in anguish over leaving a man to die on that battlefield in order to save her own life. That would have sunk her career, she was sure. He wouldn't be able to trust her again. The fact was that she wasn't sure she could trust herself.

"I know about Wheeler," he said.

Carter looked at him with a brief glance, caught off guard at the mention of the name. Her concentration shifted back to her hands. She was sure he had read her report on the incident. Like the dutiful officer she was, she had noted the circumstances of Wheeler's death. It would have been easy to omit it because of the intense confusion of the battle. She knew better, though. There were rules, and Carter was good about following them. "So what does that mean?"

"It means that I know what that's like, and I see it eating at you." He looked at her intently. "It wasn't your fault."

She stood and slammed her locker door shut, pressing her head against it. Her eyes closed. "He was my responsibility, Colonel. All I can see is his face. I'm walking around here like a zombie thinking if only . . . " Carter's voice trailed off, unable to convey to him the number of times she had rerun the scenario. Every time, the result was the same. This was not the time to lose control.

She looked over at him, standing up straight. "I had two choices, sir, and I made the wrong decision that got a man killed."

He stood and walked to her side, his arm resting on top of the lockers. "Sam, there was no right decision that day. I was there, remember? We lost one man." He held up his index finger for emphasis. "One, out of twelve in one hell of a firefight. You're not the one who killed Wheeler. A Goa'uld did that. And if you hadn't run for the gate, you'd be dead, too."

She turned toward him, leaning up against the locker and folding her arms. "Would you have done the same, sir? I mean, what if that was me instead of Wheeler – would you have left me there?"

He looked down at the floor, reviewing his words carefully. "As bad as it sounds, he would have died anyway. And if it meant saving more lives than losing them," he said looking at her directly, "then yes, I probably would have done the same thing."

"And if it had been me?"

His mouth opened, trying to voice a difficult answer when base's paging system sounded. "Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter to the briefing room."

Her head dropped, silently damning the sound of Hammond's voice summoning them. She wanted O'Neill's answer, but the call effectively ended the debate. "I think that's our cue, Colonel," she said softly.

He sighed. "Yeah." Without another word, he turned and headed out of the locker room.

She waited for a moment after O'Neill's departure. Even though he was trying to help, she wasn't up to continuing the conversation on the way to a briefing. She needed time to collect herself and calm down. She ran a hand through her hair and took time to check her appearance in the mirror before entering the hallway.

Stargate Command, a secret program nestled like an underworld in the belly of Cheyenne Mountain Complex, was the United States Air Force's quiet little project. It had come about a thousand years after the last use of the Stargate, an ancient ring standing over two stories tall that allowed travel to other planets.

Carter had been working on classified projects at the Pentagon when the offer to work with the newly formed Stargate Command was tossed her way. She jumped on it faster than she realized, eager to explore the unknown. She knew she was smart. There were constant reminders of her level of intelligence and of how it exceeded that of those around her. Jack O'Neill had felt intimidated by her when they first met.

It was ironic how that had changed in just a short time. He no longer held her brain against her. He appreciated it, and they both valued the strong bonds that had formed among the members of SG-1, bonds that made it unique among all the Stargate exploration teams. So, it was not that unexpected that he would try to talk to Sam about Wheeler's death. That was his job. His team was his job, and it was one he took seriously. He was the one who took the first steps through the gate onto Abydos, coming back to the military against all odds. And it was he that accepted Carter for who she was, giving her the chance to prove her worth.

The facility, though running twenty-four hour shifts, had a light complement in the late evening hours. Or, in this case, the early morning hours. It was 0200. Carter's footsteps echoed off the bunker's walls with staccato clicks that emphasized how alone she was, how alone she felt. She turned left and came to the elevator that would take her to the command level where the gate itself was housed. She reached for her security card and slid it through the reader. The doors opened, and she stepped inside. She pushed the button for Level 27, leaning back against the wall of the car. The familiar shift in gravity made her knees buckle slightly as the car rose.

When the doors opened, she was in the gate control room. Here, Carter found a full staff manning the gate and its sensors. They gave no notice of her arrival as she stepped out and headed up the stairs to the briefing room.

When she entered, the only empty seat was the one reserved for her. O'Neill, Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c were already present and waiting. She moved in quickly and seated herself. Across from her sat Freya, dressed in her provocative style meant solely for O'Neill's amusement. Or perhaps it was Anise amusing Daniel. Whoever was the intended target, the Tok'ra's sense of fashion left something to be desired by the average female observer.

Flanked by two male assistants, she smiled in Carter's direction with a nod. A chill crept up Carter's spine at the gesture. She could think of no one in the SGC who really liked Freya or Anise. Both entities were bitterly loyal to the secrecy surrounding Tok'ra operations, and neither was going to bend any time soon. Carter's heart stung with the loss of Martouf, missing him truly for the first time since she had made her choice. It should be him in the chair, not Freya.

She quickly pushed the notion out of her mind. There was no more room for pain that day. _Time to concentrate_, Carter sighed inwardly.

Hammond spoke, bringing the room to attention. "Now that everyone is here, I think we should get started." He opened the file folder in front of him, examining notes. He then looked up, his memory refreshed. "As you know, SG-8 returned three days ago from P8X227. What you may not know is that they returned with information provided by the Tok'ra concerning the situation we are here to discuss. This time," he said, closing the folder, "they need our help."

Hammond nodded at Freya. She looked toward O'Neill, concentrating her speech. "We received a distress signal from an operative we inserted on a planet called Beman. A lesser system lord named Neja controls it. We suspect a weapon of great power is being constructed there that could have devastating consequences on any factions opposing the Goa'uld."

"Sounds intense," said Jack, the weariness of the hour showing in his level of excitement over the matter. "Could you possibly elaborate for us a bit? The hour's late, and my telepathic abilities seem to be a little on the fritz."

Freya nodded, ignoring O'Neill's interminable nature. "Stargates thus far accommodate only one-way travel. This has provided the origin of travel with a means of protection against counterattacks while the gate is open. However, our operatives have reported that a new weapon being constructed on Beman would compromise this protection."

O'Neill's enthusiasm was not up to par. "And you want us to go knock it out?"

"Not exactly, Colonel," Freya answered. "The Tok'ra are more than prepared to do that. However, we are almost certain our operative has been captured." Her gaze passed randomly over those at the table. "You must understand that the Tok'ra are fiercely independent. We do not ask others to fight our battles for us. If it were within our power to resolve this, we would."

"And it's not because . . . ?" O'Neill asked, his eyebrows raised and his impatience mounting.

"Our level of risk is too great to attempt a rescue."

"Ah," O'Neill said, nodding in a mocked understanding. "So, let me see if I got this straight," he said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm, "you want us to take a trip to Beman and bail your guy out but leave this new thing that can zap us through our own gate intact?"

Hammond shifted in his chair, turning slightly to face O'Neill. "That's exactly what they're asking, Colonel."

O'Neill turned toward Hammond in exasperation. "Sir, with all due respect, doesn't it seem a bit of a waste of time if we're going into the heart of this thing only to let it live? That's a hell of a risk to have us zoom on out there to get their boy without at least putting a dent in this Neja's toy."

"Colonel, I assure you that the Tok'ra want the same," Freya said, "but, this weapon may be more valuable intact than destroyed."

Hammond sighed. "While I fully understand and share your concerns, Colonel O'Neill, our orders have been made clear to me by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the United States." The general looked matter-of-factly at O'Neill. "You've been outvoted on this matter."

O'Neill wanted to argue, his mouth open to say the words; but the look on Hammond's face and the tone of his voice left little room for discussion.

Daniel reached for the pot of coffee in front of him. There were small blessings to meetings at ungodly hours. One of them was the gourmet coffee. "Freya," he said, "I'm still a little confused as to why the Tok'ra are asking the SGC for help."

"There are circumstances that complicate the efforts of the Tok'ra retrieving the operative."

"Here it comes," said O'Neill quietly as he reclined in his chair, rubbing at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

Freya was undaunted. "The Tok'ra have secured a new location for our people. We believe it to be a stronghold that will give us a number of advantages in the future if we can maintain its secrecy. To risk additional capture of operatives in a rescue attempt would endanger the movement as a whole should the location be revealed under torture or by other means."

Sam's curiosity was piqued. "What's to say they haven't already found out by now? We know Goa'ulds don't waste time interrogating prisoners."

An almost imperceptible smile crept across Freya's face, like a bipedal Cheshire cat. She looked at Carter, as if there was a secret to be told that would not be revealed. "Our operative is unaware of the Tok'ra's new home world. He has not yet blended with a symbiote."

"I thought all Tok'ra were blended," Daniel said, sounding like a student in an anthropology lecture.

"Most are, but we also have candidates awaiting the process. Before blending takes place, we must be sure the potential host is compatible with the beliefs and practices of the Tok'ra. Avedra chose to prove his loyalty by volunteering to gather information on the new weapon. He is an engineer and was most qualified to seek information that would help bring about an end to Neja's weapons."

"So," O'Neill continued, "this Avedra – he goes in to snoop around and winds up getting caught?"

"He issued a distress beacon just hours before he was to be picked up," she explained. "We are certain he is still alive and carries the knowledge of the weapon's design. Without him, we may be defenseless and the resistance movement will be in peril."

"Neja," Daniel said, as though thinking aloud. "Teal'c, correct me if I'm wrong, but he's not a system lord we've heard of. I mean, he's not in the who's who of ancient gods."

Teal'c frowned. "I am not familiar with his name, Daniel Jackson."

"Neja does not originate from the powerful circle of system lords," Freya supplied. "He is considered an outsider by most."

Taking Daniel's cue, Jack sat up and reached for a second pot of coffee on the table. "What – he doesn't work and play well with others?"

"Neja is fond of invention," Freya went on, unfazed by O'Neill's barrage of barbs. "His host, Granthem, was a designer of weapons before being captured and pressed into service as an unwilling host. It is Neja's intention to rise within the caste of system lords with these weapons, becoming more powerful than any lord in a position to challenge him."

Jack's finger scratched at the table, his eyes cast down. "Freya, forgive me for making an observation, but I'm getting the ominous feeling you know this Neja a little more than your average lord."

Freya paused, then her head dropped for a moment. When it rose again, her eyes lit up and emanated a dull white light. Sam's back stiffened. It was disconcerting every time she saw it, even from a Tok'ra. She was certainly not used to seeing it happen with her own father. The room was deathly silent, those in it aware that it was not Freya about to speak but Anise, her symbiote.

"Neja was once a Tok'ra," Anise said. Her voice resonated with an eerie basso tone that was heard when symbiotes assumed control of their hosts. "He betrayed our people nearly a year ago by succumbing to the temptations of power the Tok'ra oppose."

"So, you're trying to set things right by taking him out of commission?" O'Neill asked. "Or are you trying to protect other interests?"

"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond interjected, knowing where O'Neill was headed with the comment.

"Sir," O'Neill complained, turning to Hammond, "the mission to P3X324 was not the most successful of plans. If memory serves, the Tok'ra provided the intel on that one. We came back with one less man than we went in with." He looked back at Anise. "I'm not prepared to allow that to happen again, not for an ally who doesn't play fair."

The tension in the room grew. For Sam, it was almost unbearable. She knew where O'Neill wanted blame placed. That much was clear. Facts had filtered in that led Jack to believe the Tok'ra had another agenda by sending SG-1 and 7 to P3X324. There was no way to prove it, of course, but O'Neill knew dirty pool playing when he saw it. The mission to P3X324 had been under the guidance of the Tok'ra resistance. Somewhere in the flow of information, something was either missed or never sent because they had all walked into the firefight of their lives. They had not only lost a team member, but it someone they had known.

Anise paused a moment, then spoke. "We deeply regret the incident and the loss of that man. The Tok'ra are not blind to the pain and anguish war brings. We have lost much in our fight against the Goa'uld, as well. But know this - more lives will be lost if we do not fully comprehend the operations of this new weapon. As such, it is more valuable to us intact than destroyed. Even now, you are venturing to worlds you see as journeys for knowledge when they are, in fact, most dangerous. Your ignorance in these matters will be your undoing. Allow us to handle this circumstance in the way we see fit so that both our peoples may not perish."

Anise bowed her head, her eyes closing. When she looked up again, it was clear Freya was back. There was a noticeable smile on her face, as though she felt embarrassment when Anise surfaced. "Colonel O'Neill, please believe that the Tok'ra would never ask this of you if we were not in such need. Avedra is the key to successfully defending against Neja's weapon. If we do not receive the information soon, Neja will rise in power and the battle among the system lords will escalate."

Then Teal'c spoke. "Can you be more specific about this weapon?"

Freya seemed energetic with her explanation. "Unfortunately, our information is limited. We do know that it produces a pulse of energy that is directed through an incoming wormhole. Theoretically, this pulse allows for matter reintegration on the other side."

"Wait a minute," Sam said, shaking her head in disagreement. "Stargate travel is only one way. It's impossible to send something through the gate to the origin from the destination. You'd have to invert the particle acceleration in order to create two-way travel. And, theoretically, that's not possible. It would be like a head-on collision at the atomic and even subatomic levels."

Freya nodded, conceding the point. "Until now, it has not been possible. However, Neja's host is considered by some to be the top mind in weapons development and Stargate technology. So, you see, it is vital that Avedra be recovered. It is for this reason that we desire the return of our acolyte. It is our hope Avedra has learned the design of this weapon and can explain its construction. The few that remain of the Beman people will have no hope of salvation if no action is taken."

Jack's senses perked, and his sarcasm came in another wave. "'The few that remain'? What does that mean?"

"It means, Colonel," Freya said, her exasperation finally showing, "that most of Beman's people were killed by a virus similar to your influenza. When Neja began mining the planet, a virus that had been dormant in the frost layers of the ground was released. When the ice melted, it was released into the water supply. Beman was not technologically advanced enough to combat the illness. As such, many died before the spread of the disease was stopped."

Freya looked around the room, taking in the alarmed glances of all present. "I assure you that you should be well within safety if you do not drink the water."

Daniel looked up from his mug. "Yeah, we say the same thing about Mexico," he said brightly and with an irony that was completely lost on the Tok'ra representative.

Freya addressed Hammond directly. "General Hammond, it is imperative that Avedra is returned to us, for both our peoples. I cannot stress enough the importance of his mission to Beman."

Hammond leaned back in his chair slightly. "Do the Tok'ra have any plan as to how SG-1 is to find him?"

"Not necessarily a plan, but we do have a certain resource," Freya answered. "Before leaving to infiltrate the complex, Avedra was implanted with a tracking device. Its signal can be received on this within a certain range."

One of the assistants flanking her withdrew a device from under his tunic and handed it across to O'Neill. "You should be able to detect him once this device is close enough to receive the signal. It will give you the general direction of his current location," he said.

O'Neill turned the small black box around, trying to find which end was up, then handed it to Carter. "And exactly how close do we need to be?"

Freya paused just enough to cause concern. "Thirty meters, depending upon the interference generated by the operations in the complex."

"So, in other words, this thing is useless, right?" he said, thumbing at the box.

Sam tapped the keypad on the box. A gridded mapping display appeared, generating an image of three separate buildings with compartments outlined in red. "This is a map of Neja's complex?" she asked.

"To the best of our knowledge, yes," Freya answered. "The plans represent the information we have learned from past reconnaissance. The red areas you see are holding facilities for workers, prisoners and those too sick to continue work on the project. Most are underground cells, which resemble dungeons at best. Those who are weak when they enter are at great odds to come out alive."

Sam's thoughts were suddenly flooded with images of Socar's hell world - dark, hot, dirty. Were they Jolinar's memories or hers? She couldn't tell but was willing to concede that perhaps they shared the same visions. She forced herself to lock away the images, returning her attention to the present.

Daniel shifted in his chair. "So, how exactly are we to get to Avedra if he's in one of these cells?"

Freya's head bowed once more, allowing Anise to speak. "Provided his identity is not discovered, Neja will most likely put him to work with the others in the fields where the hardest labor is required. This will give you a timeframe in which to act."

Jack smiled. "Let me guess – the acting part is up to us? The Tok'ra haven't come up with any brilliant plans for that, have they?"

"Colonel O'Neill," Anise said, fully frustrated now, "SG-1 has proven its worth in these situations. The success of this mission benefits both our peoples. You have made it clear you do not appreciate Tok'ra involvement in such areas. Therefore, we shall do as you wish and put this part of the task in your more than capable hands."

"All except blowing up the energy thing, right?" O'Neill shook his head in frustration. "We'll just leave that intact."

Teal'c sat impassively, seemingly unfazed by the exchanges. "And what becomes of Neja?"

Anise turned to Teal'c. "Neja is a concern for the Tok'ra, not the Tau'ri. He is one of our own who has betrayed the cause. We will exact a proper justice upon him when the time comes. I guarantee you that time will be soon once Avedra can provide the additional intelligence we require to carry out such action."

Jack's face was deadpan. "Going to send him to bed without supper?"

Hammond cleared his throat to ward off any additional wisecracks from his senior officer. He referred back to his folder. "Before I approve any action, I must have assurances from you of the Tok'ra's intentions to destroy this grid. I won't risk my people only to have it remain operational." He looked up from the folder. "If I send them in, it will be for one purpose only, and that is to retrieve your man and bring him back to the SGC alive and well. After that, we want to see it destroyed without exception. If the Tok'ra don't do it, we will."

Anise lowered her head, allowing Freya's sugary sweet disposition to return. "General Hammond, the Tok'ra are committed to destroying this weapon once we have learned its design. Avedra's knowledge will increase the chances of our success and will most likely save lives in the process. The Tok'ra are well aware of the skills of SG-1, which is why we have called upon you to help us in this endeavor."

O'Neill and Hammond exchanged glances. Hammond nodded at the colonel, reluctantly satisfied with Freya's explanation. More importantly, he had to follow the direct orders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff if he had any intention of keeping his position within the SGC.

Hammond turned to Freya once more. "I have been instructed by the Joint Chiefs to remind you that all information is to be shared with us. We expect full cooperation from the Tok'ra in this matter. We will not accept anything less."

"Of course, General Hammond," Freya promised.

Sam watched O'Neill's face. Sure enough, his eyes rolled in exasperation. "Yeah, we've heard that one before," he muttered quietly.

Hammond shot a glare in O'Neill's direction, then closed his folder for the last time. "Colonel, following a mission briefing with Freya and her people, SG-1 will ship out to Beman to find Avedra and return him to the Tok'ra. You will have twenty-four hours planetside to find him and get him out. The ship will be ordered to leave the system, and your GDOs will be locked out after thirty-six hours."

O'Neill took a deep breath, obviously not satisfied with the general's orders. However, he was not one to defy an order or neglect duty. "Pack your bags, kids," he said to the team members seated around him. "We're taking little trip."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The briefing lasted only an hour. There wasn't much information to be shared. A picture of Avedra and Neja were shown to familiarize the team, although it was entirely possible Neja had jumped bodies by then. A walkthrough of the complex was conducted on the mapping device Freya had given them. That information was weak at best, as well.

Even the complex, Anise had surmised, was probably changed since the last reconnaissance mission. There was no guarantee that the complex layout in the mapping device was accurate.

All in all, though, the mission seemed to be a straight shot in and out – at least it did to Carter. They were to avoid a firefight if possible and get Avedra back. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. Of course, avoiding being killed would be an added bonus above all else. SG-1 would have a thirty-six hour gate window if the link with the shuttle was missed. After that, all bets were off for a rescue party. They would be on their own, left to make it to a safe world any way they could.

"Your father sends his greetings," Freya said to Carter as they walked slowly down the hall.

Sam smiled. "I was hoping he would have come with you. It's been a while since we've seen each another," she said, zipping up her equipment vest.

"Jacob is most valuable to us," she said. "He's become quite an asset to our cause, and he's very respected among my people."

"Well, the whole thing seems to be working out better than I had hoped. I was worried he wouldn't fit in so well."

Freya stopped. "Why would you think that?"

Sam pushed her hands into her pockets. "Nothing against my father, but the whole arrangement was pretty odd. I wasn't sure he'd take to it because it all happened so fast."

Freya grinned broadly. "Selmac and he are a good match. They're very much alike."

She smiled, too, and began walking again. "Yeah, I noticed." She was quiet for a moment as they made their way down the hall. "Look, it got tense back in the briefing, and I apologize if we came off a little hostile. We've all been pretty strung out here lately. A lot of missions and not enough sleep, you know?"

Freya shook her head. "There is no need to apologize, Major Carter. Colonel O'Neill's concerns are valid. Jacob warned me that our wish to see the grid left intact might not be received well."

"I guess we're just used to doing the complete package when it comes to stuff like this. To leave something like that standing when we have the chance to destroy it - " She hesitated. "Well, it's not the way Colonel O'Neill likes to do things."

Freya's expression changed to one of frustration. "The Tok'ra do not wish the grid to remain a threat any more than your people do. It is our wish that it will be destroyed, but not before we learn of its potential. I hope he appreciates that."

Sam nodded. "I'm sure he'll follow through on our orders, but I don't blame him for being concerned. Something that powerful is very threatening, especially to us since we lack the technology of the Tollan or the Tok'ra."

"The Tok'ra agree it has a deadly potential, which is why we will do everything within our power to understand it and destroy it. You do not actually believe the Tok'ra would allow something so harmful to remain in operation, do you?"

"Of course not, Freya, but I can't help thinking we're playing with fire with this one. There just aren't enough assurances that this grid will be taken out of operation." She grimaced. "I don't even want to think of what will happen if Neja gets it working."

"Then we must work together to ensure that never becomes a reality," she said with a tone Carter found irritating and superior.

Carter smiled, covering an inner wince. Just what did Freya think SG-1 was about, anyway? Earth may not have had the technology of the Tok'ra, but she would put the tenacity of the "Tau'ri" and the United States Air Force up against any thing out there. Maybe O'Neill was completely justified in his disdain of the Tok'ra. He had put in far more years and had shed far more blood for the preservation of freedom than could ever be asked of any one individual. His experience, she knew, was telling him better.

Teal'c suddenly appeared around the corner of the corridor leading to the embarkation room. He bowed his head slightly, then concentrated his attention on Sam. "Major Carter," he said, "your presence is required in the gate room."

Sam nodded. "On our way." She held out her hand, directing Freya toward the gate room doors. She lingered back a few steps, trying to get her nerves under control. She was glad to see that Teal'c had engaged Freya in some semblance of conversation. It gave Sam time to calm down, to get her mind in gear to go back to work.

As she turned into the doorway of the gate room, she caught sight of O'Neill in the briefing room, the reflection of the room lights on the glass distorting his face slightly. He peered down at her and paid even closer attention to Freya. She felt like a bug in a jar under her commander's watchful eye. She knew Jack was not fond in the least of Anise, but Freya was something else. She couldn't decide if Jack actually liked Freya or just found her more palatable than the symbiote. In any case, Sam knew O'Neill didn't trust either entity.

She noticed Hammond sliding into view next to O'Neill. They exchanged words she could not hear as they observed the preparations being made in the gate room. O'Neill still looked upset, and she could just imagine Hammond's low voice bringing his second in command under control with words only commanding officers seemed to know.

Daniel caught her attention, walking toward her with water rations. She accepted them, managing a smile even though Daniel was paying more attention to Freya. Everyone seemed to pay more attention to the Tok'ra when they were around for some reason. Then again, everyone paid a lot of attention to her, too, after her experience with Jolinar. The difference was that she felt like she was caught in a freak show while the Tok'ra enjoyed the fame that accompanies great freedom fighters.

O'Neill entered the gate room, slipping into his equipment vest and covering up with his cap. His walk was almost arrogant, but Sam felt he had earned that right. He had also earned the right to not be thrilled with assignments that didn't meet his high expectations of preparation. He had taken every opportunity to voice his opinion about the intelligence gathering inadequacies exhibited by the Tok'ra for the mission they now faced. Hammond, in turn, slapped down every one of his complaints, stating quite clearly that O'Neill's objections had been noted but would go no further than the limits of the briefing room. What she knew her commanding officer couldn't say was that he blamed the Tok'ra for the loss of a team member. To have said that would have been politically incorrect and would have damaged the precarious relationship being forged between Earth and the leaders of the rebellion.

"We should be going soon," Freya said.

Jack grimaced. "Yeah, time's a-wastin'." His voice was dull and flat.

"I will accompany you to the shuttle, then leave you in the hands of Car'met, the pilot who will be taking you to Beman."

He smiled sardonically. "Can't wait."

Sam donned her cap and harnessed up her rifle, watching as the chevrons of the gate swirled and clicked into place. Then the center of the gate ring exploded in a blue light that lashed out before being sucked back inside itself. The group headed for the gate. Once Hammond had give them a go, Daniel and Teal'c led the way, followed by Freya and Sam. Jack hung back a few steps. Sam could feel his tension even with her back turned. There was no use in looking back. She knew what she would see – Jack's scowl and stony face silently cursing that he had to be a part of all this.

And to her disliking, she couldn't have agreed more. They were walking into a dead zone. The water was bad and the soil was bad. If Neja didn't kill them, the environment just might. Freya had assured them more than once that they should be all right as long as they didn't drink the water or eat the dirt in copious amounts. Carter had no intention of eating dirt in copious amounts, but the idea that most inhabitants on the planet had died of disease left an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She was sure it made the others uneasy, as well, although no one really voiced their concern. All except O'Neill, of course. He just could not accept Tok'ra advice on the whole no matter how much supporting evidence there was. Some might have called it bitching for the sake of bitching. Sam knew it was to ensure the survival of the team in the most hostile of environments.

The sounds of boots clanking on the metal ramp bounced off the event horizon of the gate, itself a shimmering wall of a blue liquid-like surface. Teal'c and Daniel vanished into the meniscus of the gate, followed Freya. Then it was her turn, only she struggled in making her body move forward into the gate. It was the first time she had been on the ramp since P3X324. She stopped just short of entering, eventually looking back at O'Neill.

His brow raised, he asked, "Problem, Major?" His scowl was gone. This time, it was genuine concern on his face.

_Hell yes, there is_, she thought. But she was at a loss how to put it into words. Even if she could, she feared it would cast doubt on her readiness to go on mission again. There was no way she was going to let apprehension conquer her. Not even her nightmares were going to stand in the way. Jolinar would not interfere with her duty, memories of Martouf would not distract her, and Jack's imposing psychological questions would not inhibit her ability to do her job.

"No, sir. Rarin' to go." The lie rolled easily off her lips.

He looked at her decisively for a moment, their eyes locking. Certain truths passed between them during that split second, but Jack said nothing. He merely nodded that she should take that step through the gate that would begin the first day of the rest of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The cell floor was damp and cold. Avedra shivered against it, his skin scraping against the rough surface with each contraction of his muscles. No one had bothered to remove whatever was binding his arms behind his back. His shoulders ached, his hands numb from the restraints wrapped around his wrists.

He listened for noises outside the cell. The occasional scream, some whispers and the sound of rodents gnawing within the walls filled his ears. He had no idea how long he had been there. One hour ran into the next. It could have been days, but he wasn't sure. There were no windows, so he couldn't see outside to even judge by the position of Beman's twin suns the time of day. A storm had passed a while earlier. Water had seeped into the cell. His clothes still felt heavy with the musty mix of mud and dust that covered the floor.

Avedra laid his head back on the floor, closing his eyes and trying to preserve his strength. He would surely need it if what he had learned of the Goa'ulds remained true. His mind played out the various scenarios that might face him at any moment – the torture, the conversations, the chance he might die on the very spot he occupied.

His heart sank as the realization that the Tok'ra would not likely send a rescue became more apparent. He was alone, and alone he would die. He had chosen this path – had chosen to put himself at this risk he now endured. Surely, he would have to accept that this was his destiny as a freedom fighter. The peril was clear. He had asked – no, he corrected himself – he had begged for this chance. This was his calling, no matter the outcome. The Tok'ra Grand Council had taken the chance that a candidate would complete the mission and obtain the information they so badly needed.

Neja would call for him soon. He was sure of it. It was bound to be discovered that it was a Tok'ra that had infiltrated the ranks of Beman to spy on the operations there. Since Neja would not know how many pairs of eyes were on him, he would try to extract that information from the one source he had.

Avedra smiled dryly at the thought. This was the sacrifice he had proclaimed he was willing to make. This was the death sentence he assured the Grand Council he was willing to accept in the noble fight for freedom. Neja was an enemy to those who valued freedom. Avedra was his immediate foe. He would match wits against the traitor, vowing that he would not break in the face of torture. The Tok'ra had trained Avedra as best they could to endure the pain and psychological warfare that awaited him in some chamber down the hall.

He wondered if he would cry out in pain as he had been hearing others do. That would surely be a sign of weakness, an act Neja would no doubt take great pleasure invoking. How the man had turned against the Tok'ra still baffled Avedra. Loyalties within the sect had been so constant as far as he had seen. Certain members of the Grand Council had shown definite disdain at the mention of Neja's name. There was no question as to the intent that Neja must die in order for others to live. Avedra's mission was the first step in that endeavor.

There was a clatter at the door. The bar on the outside made a grinding sound as it was pulled away. When the door opened, a guard stood there a moment, looking down at the lump of a being before him. Avedra turned his head slightly and peered back at the guard, holding his face expressionless.

The guard entered, followed by another. Together, they each took a side and hauled Avedra from the floor. He held his breath, beating down a grunt of pain as they pulled at his arms at an unnatural angle. He complied with their commands, entering the hall with a slight stumble. It felt good to be upright again, even though he was being pulled along roughly at a pace he could barely manage.

The corridor they had entered was long. Cells lined the way. As they moved along, he could hear the cries of those inside more distinctly now. The people inside were in pain. Some stood in time to see Avedra pass, managing to get a glance through the tiny barred windows on the doors. Their eyes seemed hollow and dark, their will to fight an elusive commodity.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive, heavy metal door. It was meant to keep people out as much as in. It opened almost automatically as they approached. Avedra was pushed through it into the hands of two more serpent guards awaiting him.

They grabbed at him roughly. He knew his arms would score bruises from their treatment. Sadly, he knew there was more in store for him, most likely, wherever they were taking him. From what he could tell, people did not get to leave their cells. For Avedra, this was an invitation he had no chance of turning down.

He stumbled but was held aloft by the guards, literally dragged down the hall to another awaiting chamber. The air was cleaner here. The water was held at bay by better construction. The lights were bright, hurting his eyes. He wanted to shield them, but his hands were bound. His eyelids rebelled at the contrast, squinting shut to the point he could barely see in front of him.

Before he could see where he had stopped, the guards let go of him. Avedra stood there, unsure of his surroundings and afraid to move. The lights were so bright, but he did manage to make out a figure sitting in front of him on what he could only discern as a throne of sorts.

There was a drawn out silence. He knew not what to say, nor did he care to offer anything that would hasten his schedule of execution. He just stood there, awaiting the next event in what was surely to be the last remaining moments of his life.

Only then did it occur to him that it was Neja who was seated on the chair. As Avedra struggled to open his eyes more fully, he could make out Neja's form. He was seated in an arrogant posture, patiently waiting for his prisoner to become more accustomed to the change of atmosphere. Apparent to Avedra, this was not the first time he had done this.

Only after a heavy silence that sent a chill into Avedra's body did Neja speak. "You are of the resistance," he said, his voice reverberating in the fashion of a symbiote speaking. Though a statement, his words had the air of a question.

Avedra stood silent.

Neja stood from his throne and descended the two stair in front of it. He came toward Avedra, pulling his golden robes about him. His hair was long and dark, pulled back and tied off with a golden metal band. It defied the normal style of other system lords who wore it rather short. With a body tall and lanky, his high cheekbones held the slightest hint of sunburn, no doubt the result of having personally supervised the outside construction of his weapons. The rest of his skin was pale, nearly white.

"I suspect I have been branded a traitor," he said, continuing as though Avedra were not required to provide any answers thus far into the conversation. As he neared, the scent of perfume wafted through the air, assaulting Avedra's senses with a sickening sweetness.

Neja walked behind him, circling like a predator. "What do they call you, Tok'ra?"

Avedra spoke now. "Who I am is of little consequence."

"Oh, I believe it is of great consequence," Neja countered. "You have not blended yet, and I find that peculiar. That tells me you are someone of importance. Perhaps you are a threat to my work here?" His voice was soft, not nearly the edge to it that Avedra had expected.

Neja circled around to face him again. It was then that Avedra noticed the three guards standing post in the room near Neja's throne. They were large men, surely strong enough to subdue him in an escape attempt. "I was unarmed when you captured me," he answered, his throat dry with dehydration and a fear he could not deny.

"So you were. And you do not appear to pose a threat now." He turned to a guard and ordered the release of the binders on Avedra's wrists.

The sudden rush of blood into his fingers brought a limited sense of relief to Avedra. He flexed them at his sides, grudgingly grateful, despite painful pinprick tingling, that his hands were free once more.

"Come, you must be hungry. Let us dine and talk some more." Neja turned and began walking away toward another door. It was opened for him as he neared. Beyond it, Avedra could see a large dining chamber that he never would have guessed existed from his observations outside.

He stepped forward, following Neja into the great room, which was adorned in golden patterns of geometric shapes that were somehow pleasing to the eye. The decor was reminiscent of the limited decorating patterns found in Tok'ra settlements. One shape flowed into the next, creating an uninterrupted river of interconnected outcroppings on the walls. The lights in this room were more subdued, casting soothing shadows in the corners. Candles burned steadily here and there on large but ordinary stands.

The ceiling was high, reflecting the sounds of footfalls with every step. Before them was a large table with two chairs. Neja moved forward and sat down, holding out his arm in invitation for Avedra to occupy the other.

It was at this point that Avedra was aware of the smell of food. A heady scent of cooked meat filled the air. His stomach leapt at the assault, and only then did he realize just how hungry he was. He had lost track of the days, and there was no telling how long he had been without food. Surely, this was better than the rations he had brought for himself in any case.

It flashed through his mind that this could be some trick – that Neja had poisoned the food in order to obtain more information. Avedra weighed his options carefully as he was led to the other chair. Even if the food was poisoned, it would be food nonetheless. He had to keep his strength up if he had any hopes of finding a way out of the complex and back to a transport of some sort.

He seated himself across from Neja at the oblong table. The dampness in his robes had become cold, seeping through to the backs of his legs. A shiver escaped him, though he was sure Neja had not noticed. Two young females emerged from another door, toting two carafes of drinks and small plates of fruit Avedra found appealing yet strange in form. The food was placed in front of the two men and glasses were filled with an amber liquid that smelled sweet and slightly alcoholic.

Neja adjusted his posture, then began tasting the fruits on the plate before him. He ate for a few moments without a word, savoring each bite with a personal satisfaction. Then he stopped and looked up Avedra who had yet to touch his own plate.

"Go on, eat," he encouraged. "I am certainly honorable when it comes to the enjoyment of a meal."

_Especially ones intended as your prisoner's last_, Avedra thought. His hand moved toward the plate in front of him, and he picked up a piece of the fruit that was orange in color. It was not familiar to him, but his senses perked as he bit into it. A sweet, juicy explosion bombarded his mouth. He chewed on it with satisfaction, squeezing out every drop of juice before swallowing what remained of the pulp.

Neja smiled gently and returned to his own plate. They ate in silence a while, Avedra not offering any information that would endanger his own safety. Every so often, Neja would stop and study the young man. It was disconcerting to say the least to Avedra.

"Tell me – how is Garshaw?" Neja asked finally. "She was well the last time I saw her."

Avedra's mind kicked back into gear, momentarily swept away with the food before him. "I do not know that name," he answered, busying himself with the rest of the fruit.

Neja laughed quietly. "Of course you do. Only the Tok'ra would have such audacity to send someone to spy on my efforts."

Avedra pushed his plate away slightly, careful to avoid the effect that he was rejecting what remained. He picked up a towel placed at his side and dabbed at his mouth. "The Tok'ra are not the only ones who oppose tyranny, Lord Neja."

Neja's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Is _that_ what I have been accused of doing?" He sat back in his chair, angling his body in a casual position. "I do not know the things you have been told of me or of my defection from the ways of the Tok'ra. However, as nature suggests, there are two sides to every accusation."

"I'm sure there are, Lord Neja, but the fact remains you have enslaved the people here for your own needs. Surely, even you will not deny the forced labor. Even I am a prisoner here."

"Nonsense," Neja replied, casually waving his hand about in the air to dismiss the thought. "Consider yourself my guest. I do apologize if you feel you were treated unfairly, but I am afraid all that commotion was as much for my safety as it was for yours."

"Mine?"

"Certainly. You see, this installation is a key asset of mine. As such, I must know all that goes on within and around it. It was either you be taken as a prisoner at the time or my guards kill you dead where you stood. Surely, you can see that I took the more compassionate route in your case."

"Others may not see it as such."

Neja smiled ever so slightly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Allow me to enlighten you, my newfound friend." His voice lowered, as though he were telling a secret. "At all times, your fate rests in my hands. I may not be a spiritual god, but I am a god in that I determine whether you live or die, just as I determine the fates of everyone on this world. Do not test my resolve in that matter.

"And what becomes of those who do?"

Neja sat back. "They are eliminated, of course." He reached up and adjusted the robes near his neck. "This resistance you claim is not the Tok'ra sees fit to destroy its enemies. Why should I not be afforded the same right? I am merely defending my destiny as a great leader and ruler."

Avedra's anger rose uncontrollably, though he managed to keep the tone of his voice even and calm. "You're a murderer. You kill innocents without a second thought."

Neja rose so quickly from his chair that it flipped back and landed on the floor with a clatter that echoed throughout the chamber. His eyes glowed with anger. "You insolent young man! You know nothing of my thoughts! Your arrogance has led you to me, and now you sit there with all your piety." His attitude turned loathsome. "There is no doubt you are of the Tok'ra. You have been poisoned by Garshaw's political ramblings far too long for you to be able to discern truths for yourself."

Now Avedra stood, squaring his body toward Neja. "I am well capable of forming my own opinions. I have had quite a sufficient amount of time to observe your actions here, and I find them deplorable. You are a murderer, Neja, and you are a traitor to the cause of freedom of all peoples."

They stared one another in eye for a moment, then Neja calmly turned and picked up his overturned chair. He sat down gently, but the tension was clear in his shoulders. He let go with an unexpected and drawn-out laugh that startled Avedra. "You are a feisty one, I will admit. And what should I call you?"

Avedra stood there a moment, trying to regroup. Then he sat down slowly in his own chair again. "Fennig," he said. "They call me Fennig."

"Well, then, Fennig," Neja said, almost with a festive tone, "eat well, for we have much work ahead of us."

A sense of danger welled in the pit of Avedra's stomach, signaling that he had somehow made a false step in the game. Unfortunately, he had no idea where he had erred. "Such as?"

Neja smiled, but it was not a kind response. Rather, his countenance was more sinister now, his eyes focusing narrowly on Avedra's. "As I told you before, I make it a point to know all that concerns my assets. And you, my fine friend, have just become my biggest prize yet."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

O'Neill looked out the cockpit window of the shuttle, watching pinpoint streaks of lightning rip across the cloud deck blanketing Beman's dark side. Having endured his share of planes in storms, Jack's stomach lurched at the thought of what lay ahead. It wasn't that he hated flying, but he despised anything thing in nature that took control of the vehicle he was in out of the operator's hands.

He moved toward Car'met's seat, the pilot assigned to fly the shuttle into the drop zone on Beman. O'Neill bent over, resting his arm on the older man's high backed chair. He kept a watchful eye on the storm they seemed to be aiming for some two-hundred thirty miles below.

"That's a pretty big storm you're steering us into there," he said, casually pointing out the window in front of them.

Car'met's hands moved about the controls in a graceful orchestra of movement. "It is our best chance of entering the atmosphere undetected. Neja's sensors are not adequate enough to negotiate atmospheric disturbances."

"Ah," Jack said, nodding. "So," he said slowly, "what can expect when we land?"

Car'met turned slightly. "From what we can ascertain from our scans at this altitude, there are tremendous storms building just to the west of where I intend to land the shuttle. It is my hope that the storms will mask our ship, allowing you to embark upon the mission as scheduled."

"Swell," he muttered. He stood back up straight, still looking out the window at the storms. Car'met was, indeed, aiming for a spot just to the right of the wall of storms. O'Neill knew perfectly well what that meant – rain and lots of it. He wasn't thrilled with the prospect of hiking over high terrain in torrential downpours in the dark, but Car'met seemed so sincere that this was how it had to be. Who was O'Neill to argue with the great Tok'ra?

The only good point of the trip had been that there was time to brief the team on tactical options and instructions. Teal'c and Carter would take to the hills above Neja's complex while he and Daniel went down for a closer look, whatever that entailed. With any luck, Carter would be able to decipher what was going on with the grid while Teal'c provided cover fire, if necessary, in retrieving Avedra. That, of course, depended upon if the man was still alive.

Teal'c had taken the liberty of assisting with the piloting of the ship. Car'met had his hands full with the controls, fighting the frequent bucking of the ship as it fought its way through the initial layers of the atmosphere.

O'Neill looked over at Carter, watching her with her eyes closed as she tried to catch a few moments of sleep. He couldn't help but recall the look on her face just before they entered the gate. As in the locker room, he didn't doubt her abilities as an officer or scientist or soldier; but he did care whether or not her ability to cope with recent events would impact the success of their mission. He couldn't afford for her to freeze in the middle of a combat situation. The loss of Martouf had taken a toll on her, he knew, as well as certain revelations he had no intention of expounding upon any time soon with her. He had the option of sending her for psychological counseling after Martouf's death, but he had been that route himself. It wasn't pleasant, and it hadn't really helped him in the long run. It showed up as a mark on his record, and that was something Carter didn't need to have hanging over her head for the rest of her career.

Daniel was busy securing his equipment belts for the umpteenth time, taking an inventory of the contents as a measure to pass the time. The members of O'Neill's team knew the contents of their belts and packs. He had made sure of that. Daniel, though, was nearly obnoxious with his fidgeting. He could never sit still and just wait. He had to be dissecting something in order to keep himself occupied. Jack had learned to let it go, even though it annoyed him almost to distraction.

Daniel was a good man and an accomplished scientist. He understood people far better than Jack could ever have hoped in a lifetime. Daniel made society his art. Jack was merely a participant in the doctor's sketch of an anthropological masterpiece. In fact, the entire SGC and all the planets they encountered were somehow drawn into this massive collage only Daniel could see at times. Jack's frustration had mounted more than once when his friend would see the bigger picture instead of the important issues at hand. Sometimes, it was just necessary to take care of immediate needs before looking in the long run of events.

Then there was Teal'c, the man to whom Jack owed his life on more than one account.The times were too numerous to count that Teal'c's perseverance had paid off huge dividends for both SG-1 and Earth as a planet. He was truly a hero that received no large-scale recognition. It was impossible for anyone to know that an alien was protecting them within a mountain that housed a program that didn't exist. The people would only see an alien and not the man who had redeemed his life with good deed after good deed.

Jack sat down along the far wall of the ship, reaching up and grasping onto a handhold to steady himself. The cargo shuttle pushed deeper into Beman's atmosphere with a hard shudder, retaliating against the forces that buffeted its hull. O'Neill wished he had a seat to strap himself into to steady his head that shook with the commotion. He hated the Tok'ra's cargo shuttle with a passion. It was cold and impersonal with no comforts to ease the strain of the trip they had undertaken sixteen hours earlier. Moreover, it had that feel of a deathtrap he found distasteful. He was getting cranky, and that was a bad way to start any mission. It didn't endear him to the power of luck by any stroke of the imagination. And luck was something he figured he would need in great abundance for this one.

Carter stirred, waking at the bouncing of the tiny ship. She reached up for a hand hold of her own, managing to rub at her eyes with a free hand. She looked over at O'Neill, catching his stare. He figured she knew what was on his mind but would deny any truth to his fears. Sam was strong. She had to be in order to be in the Stargate program, just like anyone else who had been accepted into the project. She wasn't about to give him any reason to doubt her, especially not at the start of a dangerous assignment.

She let go of the handhold for a moment and pulled on her equipment vest, securing it quickly before she reached for the handhold again. Her eyes drew up to O'Neill's again. Her face was solemn, but she gave him a knowing nod, as if to say things were all right. He knew she would not say it with words, but she understood he would be watching. That much was a given. He would watch her every move when he could to make sure she didn't become a danger to the team or its objectives.

The shuttle was suddenly sent careening off its course, seeming to have taken a direct hit. O'Neill was on his feet immediately. "What is it? We under attack?"

"We are not, O'Neill," Teal'c answered. "We are passing through the heart of the storm. It appears we have been struck by lightning."

"Well," O'Neill said, straightening, "that's a comfort. What happens if we get hit too many times?"

"The ship will disintegrate and we will be consumed in a most painful ball of fire, Colonel. There would be little trace of us left afterwards," Car'met answered.

It took a moment for O'Neill to catch the sly grin on Car'met's face. Teal'c kept his eyes forward, though his eyebrow had raised in a knowing gesture.

The Tok'ra had told a funny. O'Neill rolled his eyes.

The amusement lasted only a moment before the shuttle was buffeted by another strike. "How much longer we have on this roller coaster ride?"

Car'met's face became serious again. "We'll be landing in approximately three minutes. I suggest you prepare to disembark."

With a nod, Teal'c rose from his station and made his way toward the storage area of the shuttle to collect his staff weapon, leaving the piloting of the ship solely in the hands of Car'met. O'Neill stayed up front, watching the descent of the shuttle with one hand clenched on the back of Car'met's chair.

Before long, the shuttle cleared the cloud deck, settling into calmer air. The ground below was lush green forest with varying altitudes. The Tok'ra had laid out the best route of travel for SG-1 in advance, and O'Neill couldn't argue with the plan. There seemed to be only one logical way through the hills. Unfortunately, Neja probably knew this as well. They'd have to be on the lookout for guards the entire way. With any luck, they'd avoid a firefight along the passages.

O'Neill slipped on his vest, checking his weapon. He neared the hatch to the shuttle, surrounded by the rest of his team. On his command, they all slipped on night vision goggles. He made it a point to not look at Carter as they stood waiting for the touchdown of the shuttle, lest he tear down what confidence she had left.

He wanted to, though. He wanted to make sure she was okay, but he knew he couldn't look. He knew that would have just added to the problems. O'Neill trusted her with his life, and she had come through for him more times than he cared to remember. SG-1 as a team had to trust one another implicitly. Be it Daniel, Teal'c or Carter, there could be no doubt of loyalty. They were comrades. Above all else, they were friends, willing to die for one another, never leaving anyone behind no matter the cost.

The shuttle touched down with a jostling thump. The hatch opened, followed immediately by a pelting rain that beat down on them and a wave of humidity that enveloped them like a blanket. O'Neill was the first out of the hatch, followed by Teal'c. Carter and Jackson took up the rear, all members habitually securing the flanks of their position. They moved forward, giving the shuttle proper clearance to take off once more.

O'Neill watched as the shuttle lifted off. As if the howling wind of the storm wasn't enough, the exhaust of the shuttle knocked everyone off balance. The rain stung his face, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes from it. Once the shuttle had cleared them, he took a look around him.

Carter's gun was at the ready, scanning the tree line to the north. Teal'c, likewise, was scanning the line to the west. Daniel had his eyes to the sky, watching until the shuttle disappeared into the clouds. O'Neill walked toward Teal'c, turning up his collar to the wind as it whipped the rain around them. He nodded, his face somber and serious. Whether he liked the assignment or not, they had a job to do. "Let's go find him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The terrain was unforgiving. Roots and branches reached up to trip SG1 as the team ascended the hills toward the first peak. It took longer than Carter would have liked. Her mind worked automatically, timing their passage between checkpoints. The air was thin, and they struggled against it. Even though accustomed to higher altitudes of Colorado, Beman's atmosphere gave no solace to them as they moved.

The mountains were surprisingly warm, which Carter attributed to the semi-tropical atmosphere that surrounded the planet. Signs of a greenhouse effect were evident. She could only wonder what Neja had done to help that along. Socar had changed an entire moon into a lava pit. There was no reason Neja couldn't have engineered the skies of Beman to his own liking. At least the rain had stopped, she noted with a slight comfort.

Teal'c had taken point on O'Neill's order. She smiled inwardly as she realized the value of the command. Teal'c was probably the most capable of leading them because of his physical conditioning, providing adequate warning of danger. Daniel was walking next to O'Neill, the two keeping a steady pace. No one spoke, everyone maintaining a vigilant silence as they moved. Carter found herself walking a happy medium between them all. Her calf muscles burned with the exercise, but it felt good to work her legs after being in the shuttle for so long.

They neared the ridge. Teal'c scouted ahead of them. O'Neill had moved up in front of Carter as they approached their first major destination. The night was chilled, but a break in the clouds had let the moon slip into view overhead, lighting their way. O'Neill held up his hand, signaling for the group to hold up in an area just under the ridge. He waited for Teal'c to return with a report.

Teal'c's large form appeared as a dark shadow moving down their side of the ridge. He joined the team a few moments later.

"What's it look like up there?" O'Neill asked, still breathing heavy from their trek.

Teal'c sat down on a rock, his breath coming in quiet puffs. Even the Jaffa was subject to the stresses of hiking mountains on this planet. "The area is secure until halfway down the other side of the ridge. We must move with great speed and stealth if we are to remain undetected. I saw at least one patrol securing the easiest pathway down the other side."

The colonel nodded. "Figures," O'Neill droned. "Okay, we'll rest here for another ten then move on and try to find a quieter way down there. Secure your packs for any loose pieces. Check your canteens and watch your usage. They don't have water fountains here."

Carter took the opportunity to slip out of her pack, with Jackson and O'Neill following suit. She knew that Daniel found them cumbersome, and she could not argue. Forty pounds took a toll on the back after a while, especially when climbing mountains. After an ammunition check, she opened her canteen and took a measured drink. The water was cool and soothing down her parched throat. Fortunately, the air was cool on the skin, keep all of them from overheating in the dense and humid forest highlands.

She wished she could take a deeper breath, but the thin air was not permitting it. The idea of ascending even further up the mountain was not enticing. She knew it would only get worse before it got better. Fortunately, they'd have an easier go of things once they got across the ridge. Neja's base of operations was in the valley below, giving them the chance to get to lower ground before attempting to free Avedra.

A vision of Avedra flashed in Sam's mind. She could not help but liken him to Julius Caesar. His hair was pushed forward, his nose stately with pronounced cheekbones. The color of his skin had an anemic pallor that she was beginning to attribute to the Tok'ra's underground existence. Freya had taken the liberty of bringing some picture device of Tok'ra design to familiarize SG-1 with Avedra's appearance. They could only hope that the ravages of capture had not rendered him unrecognizable.

O'Neill's allotted ten-minute break passed faster than Sam had hoped. She longed to give her lungs a little more rest, but the team knew it had to move in order to take full advantage of the darkness. More rain lay in heavy clouds off to the west. They had weathered one storm already, which didn't make climbing the terrain any easier. Now, they would weather yet another that looked even fiercer than the first.

The Colonel got to his feet, followed by the rest of his team. They geared up, grudgingly pulling on their packs once more. Teal'c took point again. Sam followed close behind, eager to see what lay beyond the ridge. Daniel lagged behind with Jack, in no position to fend off a surprise attack.

They reached the ridge within a few minutes. Using the forest as cover, they took up belly positions to survey the land below them. The patrols could be clearly seen. They did not see a need for stealth, since they lit their way with electrical torches. Carter counted at least twelve of them, moving at a hard clip through the forest on established paths.

Down in the valley, there was a complex that bathed the hills around it in a dim yellow light. Only, it wasn't a complex. It was a palace. A giant stone fortress solidly on the valley floor, a centerpiece to the construction efforts around it. To the east sat what Carter could only surmise was the grid that had brought them there in the first place. It was oblong, like a blue teardrop with a surface as smooth as glass. The pointed end of the teardrop faced Beman's Stargate. She thought the surface looked translucent and found she was right once she stared at it long enough. Inside, she could see workers moving about from point to point, possibly constructing more of the weapon with each passing moment. It was the palace that bothered her the most, though.

"Uh-oh, he's got a house," she said to no one in particular.

O'Neill stirred next to her. He peered through his night vision goggles at the guards that dotted the facility and the ones on the slope. "Oh, that's pretty," he mumbled. "Now, how do you suppose the Tok'ra missed that little detail?"

He handed the night vision over to Carter. She had been right in her estimate of twelve guards on the slopes away from them. Serpents, to be exact. The palace was another matter, though not hopeless. It seemed to be lightly guarded considering its importance. No matter, the guards were fully armed and protected, making SG-1's prospect of sneaking past not a good one. "What do you want to do, sir?" she asked, turning to him slightly.

"I suppose going home is out of the question," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't think that's one of the options General Hammond gave us. And with the patrols running around here, we're going to have a difficult time even getting near that thing."

"Well, there goes Plan A," O'Neill said, adjusting his position. "Looks like we have a bit of a problem. We're penned in here unless we come up with a better solution."

Daniel turned his head toward O'Neill. "Any idea how we're going to do that?"

O'Neill shrugged. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Perhaps we can circumvent the patrols," Teal'c offered. "We can retrace our steps and take a different route down the other side of this ridge."

O'Neill grimaced. "Yeah, that thought had crossed my mind, but there's no telling how many patrols are out there. We're not seeing the main act with these guys. There's bound to be more guards no matter which way we go. Besides, we'll lose too much time in order to make it back for the Tok'ra to give us a lift home."

"A diversionary tactic will only draw the attention of the patrols to our location," Teal'c continued.

"Teal'c's right," O'Neill conceded. "We're just going to have to pick our way down there and make sure we're quiet about it. Daniel and I will split off from you two and make a run for Neja's pad. God forbid we break any of his toys before the Tok'ra get a look at them."

Daniel cleared his throat quietly. "I don't mean to put a damper on all this enthusiasm, but exactly how are we going to rendezvous after we split up if there are guards on the ridge and guards around the fort? We're going to be searching for a needle in a haystack just finding Avedra. How are we supposed to find Teal'c and Sam once we're ready to go home? And why the hell weren't these hill patrols and that, uh, fort," he said, pointing to the giant stone walls in the valley, "mentioned in Freya's briefing?"

O'Neill took hold of the night vision again, taking another look down below. "Because Freya's a damned Tok'ra, that's why. They don't _have_ to mention things like that." He set the goggles on the ground in front of him again. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to split up right here. Daniel and I will try to thread between these patrols and down to the work area. We'll wait there until the work shifts start, then find a way to grab our boy and make it back up this way. Carter, you and Teal'c hang back and see what you can see about this grid. If Daniel and I don't make it to the valley, it's up to you two to proceed on mission to find Avedra."

"Sir, Teal'c and I can increase firepower if we all stay together."

"And you and Teal'c will make a lot more noise than just Daniel tripping and sneezing." O'Neill admonished, glancing at Jackson's head whipping around once he'd caught the barb. "I need you two to be there with the firepower if we need it. Besides, I want an overall view of what we're dealing with when it comes to the grid. You'll have a better chance to check it out from up high."

O'Neill looked directly at Carter again. "If you see us get into trouble, come see what you can do - quietly. Otherwise, observe and evade until we can rendezvous again. And if there's no solution, you and Teal'c make a line for the shuttle and take it." He checked his watch. "It's zero-fifteen hours local time. That gives us roughly four hours to pull this off. We'll use the rock ledges and darkness as we go for cover. That should give us enough spaces to hide if we need it."

"Yes, sir," she answered, though not thrilled with the plan.

He backed away from the ridge on his stomach, prompting the others to follow suit. "Major, you take the high road and I'll take the low, and maintain radio silence until zero-four-fifteen. Hopefully, we'll be back in time for dinner."

SG-1 then split into two teams. Carter and Teal'c stayed back a few moments, watching O'Neill and Jackson weave their way down the ridge. As he had said, he was taking Daniel with him toward the left, a trajectory that would bring them closest to the complex without exposing them to wide-open spaces.

Carter looked at Teal'c and nodded. Together, they set off toward the right, taking a moment to scan ahead for any evidence of patrols. The air was getting thicker the more progress they made down the other side. A drop in altitude brought heavier air, with an impending storm bearing down on them. Sam could feel the air getting thick with moisture as they descended.

As usual, Teal'c did not seem to show any signs of strain under the atmospheric changes. He seemed too busy scouting ahead to notice the temperature change. Off in the distance, the incoming storm rumbled with a preamble of its intensity. The sky continued to light up with flashes as Teal'c and she picked their way down the slope. It would begin to rain soon. She could smell it in the air as the lightning kicked up the scent of ozone.

The two continued to pick their steps carefully down the mountainside, managing to catch a distant glimpse of O'Neill and Jackson every now and then. It was only through the night vision that Carter could even see their moving forms.Breathing was becoming less of a chore for Sam, although she would be glad to return to the comforting heights of Colorado and the SGC.

It was then that the first few pellets of rain could be felt. They hit against the leaves of the trees and the ground in tiny explosions of water. A thought flashed through Carter's mind the moment she felt the first drops. If the water on Beman was a biohazard, what would happen if they all got drenched in a downpour? Freya had assured them that the hazards existed only in water that collected on the land, since the virus was in the soil. Unfortunately, no one had been placing a lot of trust in her lately. SG-1 was no exception. All Sam could do was pray no one had any open cuts when the storm hit and that the buggers were killed in the atmosphere during daily evaporation intervals. In a way, she was almost glad she hadn't had the chance to mention this to O'Neill. She didn't think he would have taken it well under the circumstances. In any case, there would be nothing they could do in the event she was wrong in her instincts.

Before she could contemplate the dangers of the rain any further, she saw Teal'c crouch down quickly, motioning for her to do the same. Then she heard the footsteps of a patrol approaching. They were coming from the side, only this patrol carried no torches to light their way or warn of their approach. There was no place to go but ahead. That was when she saw it – an outcropping of rocks that jutted out above a fifty-foot ravine. They would have to chance it if they were going to evade the patrol. With any luck, the rocks would provide cover, enough to hide them from the searching eyes of the approaching guards.

Teal'c silently told her to proceed. As usual, he would guard her back and face their threat head-on while she scoped out ahead. Carter tried to move as quietly as possible, but loose dirt and stones made that nearly impossible. More than once, her feet slipped as she tried to navigate the steep incline too quickly. Teal'c was not faring much better as he followed. The increasing winds did nothing but batter against them as they tried to duck out of sight.

Carter saw it first – a rock ledge underneath the outcropping that was not visible to the approaching patrol. She and Teal'c could hide underneath it if they could reach it in time. The rain had picked up considerably now, steadily turning the soil into soft mud that caked in the cleats of their boots. Teal'c followed her lead toward the ledge, understanding that the outcropping would shield them from view.

The patrol was close. Sam could hear the clanking of boots against solid rock as the guards neared. Teal'c needed to get under the ledge more if he was to remain hidden. Carter began carefully sidestepping the narrow outcropping under the ledge, cautious not to send rocks or dirt tumbling that would raise an alarm. They had merely a width of a boot's distance from the wall to their deaths in the ravine below. Teal'c moved in unison with her small steps, fully appreciating the precarious lifeline of rock they shared.

The rain was beginning to roar against the land, sending streams of water down the mountainside. Carter could feel the small springs of water burst out from the rocks of the ledge, drenching her in icy cold water that made her shiver, even though the air was still warm and humid. She heard the patrol approach then stop near them. If she had to guess, she would have said that they were standing on top of the boulder above them, searching their patrol path for intruders.

They both hugged the wall underneath the outcropping, begging the land for a handhold to keep them from tumbling. It was a strange comfort for Carter to see even Teal'c struggling to hang on. Their efforts to remain quiet and undetected could not be maintained forever. Sam prayed the patrol would move on soon. Her hands were beginning to cramp as she wedged her fingers into a crack in the ledge wall. The lightning and thunder combined in the skies in full chorus as the storm blew up around them. The wind was howling, and she had no way of knowing if the patrol had moved on. She gave a sidelong glance to Teal'c, questioning with a nod toward the top if he could see that the patrol had moved along.

Teal'c shook his head, indicating that they needed to stay put for a few moments longer until he could be sure it was safe. Sam nodded, but only once until she felt her feet beginning to slip off the narrow ledge. The underground springs had turned into spigots of muddy debris. She was losing her footing fast. Carter tightened her grip to the inside of her handhold, willing to break her fingers if it meant she would not fall.

The lightning flashed wildly, illuminating Teal'c's face in an eerie whiteness. His anxiety was obvious as he tried to move closer to her. He held out a hand for her, but her footing disappeared entirely before she could grasp it.

The report of thunder off the canyon walls masked her brief cry of anguish as her fingers were nearly yanked from their sockets. She was falling, and she would be dead long before her body stopped tumbling against the jagged landscape.

Teal'c moved closer, testing each step on the ledge before placing his full weight. Carter gave a muffled cry that the wind reiterated with a droning sound. Her hands were slipping out of the crevice, her fingers simply unable to support her body weight and a forty pound backpack. She looked at Teal'c, not bothering to mask the panic on her face. His eyes locked to hers as he bent down and slipped his hand under her backpack, using the straps to begin lifting her back to the ledge.

Carter's feet scraped against the slick wall just below the ledge. Her feet could not find a foothold no matter how hard she tried. Teal'c continued to lift her, but it wasn't fast enough. Her hand was slipping out of the crevice, causing her to drop down even more, negating any progress he had made in raising her.

She could see movement through a crack in the overhang above them. Someone was still up there. She could just make out eyes that glowed red. The serpent guard had raised his helmet when the rain began.

Sam tried to get her knee up on the ledge, to help Teal'c to get her on her feet. It worked. Her foot found cavity in the rock which she used to haul herself up to safety with Teal'c's strong hand still on the straps of her pack. Carter put the fingers of her other hand back in the rock crevice, making sure her footing was solid. She could see Teal'c's hard breathing, and her cheeks tingled with stress. She hugged the rock face, happy to feel its muddy surface once more.

The soldier clanked away after a moment, bringing a wave of relief to Sam. Teal'c rounded the corner of the ledge a fraction to watch for the first moment of safety. After about a minute, he nodded to her, and they slipped back into the brush, under the cover of night and the storm.

Her heart was racing, and she fought to control it. Between the patrol and nearly plummeting to her death, it was almost too much to handle. Even Teal'c showed signs of strain. Together, they scanned the woods, watching the progress the patrol made moving away from them.

Once they were in the clear, Teal'c turned to her. "Are you injured, Major Carter?"

She had not considered it until that moment, but it was just possible that a few fingers were broken. The skin had been torn from the top of her hand, and the swelling was apparent as she tried to flex each digit. She was rewarded with a sharp stab of pain from the two middle fingers.

"I think I broke a few fingers," she said, wincing. "When we find good cover, I'll splint them. How about you?"

"I am well. We should find shelter and tend to your hand."

Carter nodded, loving the idea of being out of the cat and mouse game with the guards for at least a few minutes. Her hand was beginning to throb. She cradled it with the other. "Teal'c?" she said, as they began to walk.

He stopped and turned toward her.

"What is it, Major Carter?"

"Thank you."

He nodded without a word and continued forward.

As they moved, Carter got the horrible feeling this was going to be the extent of their role in the mission – evasion. They could only hope that O'Neill and Jackson did their part before the sun came up. If they did not succeed, hiding would be difficult if not impossible. Neja would surely capture them after supplies ran out. No one would come looking for SG-1. This mission, as they had been told, was a one-way ticket.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jack O'Neill was getting perturbed. Twice already, he and Daniel had to work hard to avoid the patrols that peppered the canyon. He was moderately pleased that Daniel was keeping up, but a large part of him wished it was Teal'c at his side rather than the archaeologist. It was a matter of having the most effective cover fire in the hills should trouble arise. Daniel was no Annie Oakley by any stretch of the imagination. He did not even carry a standard issue rifle. It had taken an extraordinary event just to get him to carry a sidearm. Cover fire would require something more than a nine-millimeter and pent-up rage.

The storm Car'met had pointed out in the shuttle was on top of them. Thunder was clapping in the canyon like a rock in a tin can. The sound was helping to mask their movement down the hill, although they still had to work to remain hidden. Ground vegetation repeatedly snagged in their boots. O'Neill gave a quick thought to how Carter and Teal'c were doing. He had to – they were the other half of his team. He knew how his half was doing, and he loathed the idea of splitting up SG-1 on a tactical mission. There was no way they could go as a group, though. The risk of being caught was too great. This way, they at least stood a chance that the mission could still be completed even if he and Daniel fell into enemy hands.

O'Neill stopped for a moment, taking in a view to his right. He tried to find Carter and Teal'c against the darkness of the canyon but failed. He had anticipated losing site of them once the two approached a smaller ridge down below their starting point. That was the only direction they could go if Carter was to get a good look at the grid. He just hoped they didn't venture too far to be outside a reasonable range of Daniel and he.

Daniel stopped short, freezing in his tracks. Another patrol was approaching. Luck was running with the two men as they moved silently and quickly into another hiding space, using the brush as cover. The patrol passed by, unaware of the presence of intruders. Jack looked at Daniel and saw the tense expression on his face. He couldn't blame his friend. He felt it, too. There was nothing comforting in the thought of capture. O'Neill had opposed the mission from the start, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Hammond had made that clear.

Daniel looked at Jack, sighing in quiet relief. "That was a little close," he said.

O'Neill nodded. "Yeah, that was a little close. Let's carry on, shall we?" Jack whispered back.

As O'Neill began to stand, Daniel grasped his sleeve. "Jack, I know I asked this before, but I didn't quite hear an answer. How are we going to get out of there and meet up with Sam and Teal'c once we find Avedra?"

"We'll just call 'em up and see where they are."

"Yeah, but you told them to maintain radio silence. Doesn't that mean they won't answer when we call?"

The colonel shrugged slightly. "Technically."

"Well, what if we need help . . . technically?"

"We just have to hope we don't need it until after zero-four-fifteen hours."

Daniel gave a pensive look. "Okay . . . I think."

"Let's carry on, shall we?"

O'Neill began to stand again when his sleeve was tugged at once again.

"Jack?"

"Yes, Daniel?" came the exasperated reply.

"I'm not trying to be difficult, but if Avedra isn't on the work crew, how are we going to find him?"

O'Neill shrugged. "I don't really know, Daniel. I didn't plan that far ahead."

"Don't you think that might be important to consider?"

"Why? You have a plan?" Jack was getting irritated again.

"Well, no, not exactly."

"And neither do I. We'll deal with it if it happens. Your mistress and mine gave detailed layouts of the complex that doesn't exist. We're just going to have to wait and see what we see."

Daniel looked as though he was going to voice another question but thought better of it, much to Jack's relief. He wanted to get a move on to the palace, and Daniel was holding things up with intellect. Jack was all for a thought-out plan, but there was no way they could have the intelligence reports they would need to do that.

O'Neill stood without further interruption from Daniel and proceeded forward. He checked his watch, noting it had taken only forty-five minutes to reach their first checkpoint, sixteen minutes less than he had anticipated. He could only hope their efficiency could be maintained. It would give them more leeway making the trek back up the mountainside with Avedra in tow.

The storm was overhead again, blasting lightning and thunder every few seconds. It was a system with horrific power. The trees swayed with the intensity of the wind. Rain began stinging their faces again as they moved down the mountainside. Small streams began appearing.

They navigated their way around two more patrols until they found themselves in position to view the work area some one hundred fifty meters below them. The valley floor was flat, seemingly unnatural in its formation. O'Neill surmised that was Neja's doing. Recent blasting had taken place in one area, the land waiting to be hauled away and smoothed down into a workable terrain. Daniel and he skirted it on their way down the mountainside, stumbling over loose rubble that tumbled here and there as they crossed.

O'Neill checked his watch again. Their rate of travel had increased. They were now approaching the fifty-meter mark where they could begin tracking Avedra's signal. More of the rubble served as cover as they took a leisurely survey of the compound. The serpent guards patrolled in predictable patterns around the palace. O'Neill was tempted to take the complacent attitude toward the patrols but knew that could be a fatal mistake. The last thing he intended to be was bait. He and Daniel had to be ever vigilant of the patrols, now more than ever.

They hid behind a large pile of rubble near a wall of the palace. Daniel leaned his back against the hill and switched on the tracking device. As hoped, a red dot appeared on the display, indicating the device was detecting Avedra's signal.

To O'Neill's frustration, the tracker showed Avedra within the bowels palace, not among the work crews as Freya had suggested he would be. "Of course not," he mumbled.

"Looks like they've got him in some sort of cell," Jackson whispered. "He's moving a little, though. Probably not tied up."

O'Neill sighed, studying the readout. "I suppose that's the good part?"

Jackson nodded ahead of them. "It is if you consider that squad moving straight for us the bad part."

O'Neill saw it – a squad of six serpent guards approached in formation, staff weapons vertical and unsuspecting. There was nowhere for Jackson and O'Neill to hide. They were as covered as they were going to get. Unfortunately, they knew it would not be enough. The squad was bearing down on them faster than there was time to think.

Jack heard Daniel hold his breath. He found himself doing the same as the guards approached ever closer. It was possible the darkness would shield them enough against the seeking eyes of the squad. Jackson closed down the tracker so the light of the display would not reveal their location.

Daniel withdrew the nine-millimeter from his side while O'Neill removed the safety from his FN/P90 assault rifle. If they were going to die, it would be with a fight at least. If anything, they might buy enough time to make it back into the hills. By then, hopefully, Teal'c and Carter would see the battle and join in to give them a snowball's chance in hell of living to fight another day.

The patrol continued to approach, still in formation and seemingly unaware of the two intruders before them. O'Neill and Jackson lay dead still, trying their damnedest to look like terrain. What O'Neill wouldn't have given for a bunker above his head, but the United States Air Force had not yet devised a way to fit one into a field pack.

The squad remained in formation as they continued to bear down on O'Neill and Jackson. Only at the last moment did the squad turn ninety degrees, one row at a time. There was a visible shift in the tension in Jackson's shoulders as they moved on. O'Neill could feel his own heart skipping a few beats at that very last moment.

All the attention paid to the serpent guards in front of them left their backs unguarded. It was a controlled surprise when O'Neill felt the cold metal of a staff weapon placed squarely against the back of his neck. His back stiffened at the threat. For a brief moment, he thought of turning and emptying his magazine into the attacker. The old adage that discretion was the better part of valor made him decide otherwise.

Looking over at Daniel, he found that the archaeologist was equally held at bay by a weapon. In fact, there were many weapons trained on the two men. O'Neill did what was expected of him and held up his hands in surrender. Weapons and packs were confiscated as the guards moved in on them. Brought roughly to his feet by his collar, he was pushed and pulled toward the palace entrance.

The palace was dimmed on the outside with only sporadic lamps along the passages to light footpaths. The number of guards appeared to increase, probably alerted to watch for additional intruders. Their numbers were higher than Freya had suggested, but not to O'Neill's surprise. She had not been right about anything so far except the name of the planet. SG-1 was on its own, but at least the Tok'ra were out of the picture of operations for the time being.

O'Neill looked up at the ornately decorated building, eerily reminded of the others he'd seen just like it. Usually, being inside one was not a good thing. Too many powerful people had this kind of taste in home decorating, and none of the good guys seemed to come out in one piece after entering. The Tok'ra had underestimated Neja's abilities.

"Lord Neja will be pleased to see you," the Jaffa leading them said.

"Oh, hey – we can't wait, ourselves," O'Neill said in retort. "Heard he puts on one hell of a party."

"Silence!" the Jaffa admonished in a loud voice.

As they entered the palace, the lights became subtle, even pleasant. What was not pleasant was the constant prodding in the back by staff weapons that O'Neill was certain would be leaving a few bruises. He had the urge to bite back, but that might have only gotten his head blown off with a single shot. Daniel was more cooperative, though O'Neill could see the unabashed hatred in his eyes for the enemy that had captured them. How the doctor had changed over the course of one year was almost frightening. Gone was the sense of wonder and adventure. Daniel had grown up into a capable explorer who had cast aside his idealism for practicality. They were dealing with the enemy, and no amount of diplomacy would change that.

Something was not right about the interior of the palace, and O'Neill sensed Daniel was thinking the same thing. Where were the rings? Where were the personnel? Their footfalls were a flat sound that didn't travel far. The inside was warm and humid, no climate control in effect. Had someone forgotten to close the doors at night? They walked along in what he thought were repeating squares, as though their trek was meant to appear long instead of actually going somewhere. O'Neill filed that fact away with the rest, ceasing to fight the rough instructions given to him by the Goa'uld.

The smell of food was in the air. It was good food, at that. Meat, something sweet, and the smell of perfumed wax burning. Another hard push to the back and O'Neill was sent through the doorway to a main chamber. The door was one he could have sworn they passed before, but he said nothing. Instead, he proceeded inside as ordered with Daniel in tow. They passed through another doorway and found themselves inside an even larger chamber where the smell of food was strongest.

Seated on the far side of the room in a throne of sorts was Neja, just as Freya's picture show had presented him in the briefing. He did not look nearly as menacing as the other system lords O'Neill had seen in his time with the SGC. Neja was more casual, more laid back and at ease with intruders than others had been.

The party continued toward him. When they were in proximity, the Jaffa kneeled before Neja, casting his eyes down in respect, or perhaps it was fear.

"Lord Neja, we kept vigil as you ordered. These intruders were found hiding outside near the compound."

Neja, seated lazily in his throne, sat there a moment and studied the scene before him. Then he spoke quietly. "And have you identified these men?"

The Jaffa raised his eyes now. "We have, my lord. They are of Earth."

A sly smile crept upon the lord's face. "Earth? How interesting. What else have you learned?"

"They are of SG-1, just as you predicted, my lord."

The smile grew broader now, more arrogant. "Have they been checked for weapons?"

"They have, my lord. We have confiscated everything."

Neja sat there a moment more, unmoving and still. He then stood up quickly and stepped down off the throne toward them. "Excellent!" he said jovially. "Then we can begin feasting. Return to the hills and see if you can find the rest of Colonel O'Neill's team. There should be at least two more. When you find them, bring them here."

"As you wish, my lord," the Jaffa responded.

"Leave us now to feast. We have much to discuss," Neja said, directing his comment to O'Neill.

The Jaffa turned and left the room, followed by his unit of guards. There were two at the door to keep Neja safe against attack, though. O'Neill and Jackson found themselves standing in the middle of an empty room with a long dining table. Neja offered it to them.

"Come," he said, "it is time to eat and talk."

"About?" O'Neill said quizzically, speaking for the first time since being brought into the palace.

Neja stood still, contemplating. Then he smiled again. "People, Colonel O'Neill. It's important we talk about people tonight."

He offered chairs at the table to Daniel and Jack again. This time, they accepted the offer and reluctantly took their places. Neja took the richly carved wooden seat at the head of the table, adjusting his golden robes as he sat down, with Jackson and O'Neill flanking him.

The smell of food was intoxicating. O'Neill could not help but to compare it to the commissary food at the SGC. It smelled wonderful. However bad Neja was, the man had good sense when it came to meal preparation. A smell akin to roast beef filled the air. Outside, the storm raged with clap after clap of thunder.

"Are you hungry, Colonel?" Neja asked politely.

How familiar those words were. His mind flashed back to Iraq where he was asked those same questions over and over by his captors. They ate whole meals in front of him while he starved for food and water. As if the beatings were not enough, they had tortured his physical need for sustenance.

"No thanks. I ate before the last time I killed a system lord. I hate fighting on a full stomach, if you know what I mean."

"Ah, I'm a system lord now, am I?" Neja said more than asked with amusement. "My list of accolades continues to grow with each visitor. Soon, they may be calling me 'the creator'."

He picked up a goblet in front of him and took a long draw from it. He hesitated before putting the cup back on the table, looking over at Daniel. "You are very quiet. Not at all what I expected, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel's face was still stony. "I guess I don't have much to say," he answered flatly.

Neja sighed. "You condemn me before you even know me. I have not wronged you, have I? You know nothing about me other than what the Tok'ra have told you. I would think by now you'd have learned that the truth is not always forthcoming with them." He looked back at O'Neill. "Surely you, Colonel, have come to realize that?"

"I know what I've seen here so far."

"And that is?"

"That little slavery thing you have going outside," O'Neill said, thumbing over his shoulder. "How much you paying in labor around here?"

Neja shrugged. "Building an empire is a dirty business, Colonel. All of the great empires in history have come at the expense of peasant labor. I'm simply carrying on the tradition."

"And Granthem is okay with this?" Daniel asked.

"Granthem is nothing more than a tool to me. He does as I will, and he serves a purpose in my quest for my empire. Once I am through with him, he will be released."

Daniel's anger rose. "When? A thousand years from now? Maybe two?"

Neja gave a slight smile. "When I am finished with him, Doctor Jackson. You see, I make the rules in this empire. I decide who lives and who dies, who is captive and who is free. While your idealism is admirable, it is also futile."

At that, two young girls appeared in the far doorway holding platters of food. Neja raised his hand and motioned for them to approach. They deposited the carefully balanced load on the table and served the three men their dinners. The food was undeniably tempting. Something O'Neill guessed was a steak of some sort sat in large portion on the plate in front of him surrounded by exotic vegetables in an array of colors.

The girl serving O'Neill kept her eyes down, never looking up at him. She was pretty, probably thirteen or so. Her long black hair tied back in a cloth band. Her pale skin gave her eyes a tired and sunken look. She looked sad, defeated. Most of all, she looked afraid. It was clear she feared Neja, never even glancing in his direction. Her hands shook slightly as she finished serving their meals and quietly slipped back through the doorway.

O'Neill sat back arrogantly in his chair. "Did you tell them you were a god yet?"

The room echoed with Neja's hearty laugh. "Oh, come now. Even I do not go that far." He calmed. "No, Colonel, I do it the old fashioned way. I use fear of death and pain to motivate my labor. It's much easier than keeping up the façade of a deity."

"Don't know too many magic tricks, do you?"

"As I said, I have no need for them. Human beings are little more than cattle who move about where they are told and do what is demanded of them. They lack the ability to fight for their freedom."

Jackson pushed the plate in front of him away. "Well, if they escaped, you'd kill them anyway, right?"

"And thus the theory comes full circle. Very good, Doctor Jackson. You are beginning to understand."

"Except," O'Neill interjected, raising an index finger, "that Doctor Jackson and I are both human. So, it kind of begs the question as to why we're invited to dinner while the rest of the folks around here are pretty much starving to death. Aren't we cattle, too?"

"Of course you are," Neja answered matter-of-factly. "The difference is that you have something I want. To get what one wants, sometimes one must break from hard philosophy to attain it."

O'Neill furrowed his brow. "So, this all boils down to eating with cows?"

Neja took another drink from the goblet. "No, it 'boils down', as you say, to you telling me what I want to know."

"And what could that be?" O'Neill was tiring of the game, and he did not mask the weariness in his voice.

"It should come as no surprise that I want your iris codes."

Now it was O'Neill's turn to smile. "Been there, done that."

"Ah, yes," Neja said rising from his chair. "You have been through Apophis's version of torture. The Blood of Sokar – highly overrated in my opinion. Your team is too stubborn for such tactics."

He walked to the center of the room and motioned to one of the guards. The guard turned and left through the same door the girl had used as though to retrieve something at the command.

"Going to beat it out of us?" Jackson asked.

"I had considered that option, but that infernal idealism of yours would have just gotten in the way again. So, I began considering what your greatest weaknesses were. I decided that your ability to endure pain for the preservation of nobility was, well, rather noble. However, it would not get me what I wanted."

"We'll never give you the codes," O'Neill said adamantly.

"We'll see, Colonel."

With that, the girl who served O'Neill's meal was dragged in by the guard Neja had summoned. She was dragged across the floor, held aloft by her arm. There was sheer terror in her eyes.

O'Neill rose from his chair in alarm. "This is between us, Neja" he said. "Leave the girl out of it."

"Fear of pain and death as a motivator, Colonel. I told you that before, and that is exactly what will happen now. Not to you, but to her. Your cooperation in this matter determines whether she lives or dies."

"For God's sake, she's a child!" Jackson shouted, rising from his chair.

Neja was calm but direct. "No, Doctor Jackson, she is your motivation. There are over one hundred children in this community just like her. We'll go through every one of them if necessary until you reveal the codes. You wouldn't want the deaths of one hundred children on your conscience, would you? Such a heavy burden it would be for you humans to bear."

"You can't do that!" Jackson took two steps toward Neja then stopped immediately at the sound of a staff weapon opening and energizing. Daniel stopped short, realizing the guards would shoot him to protect their master. He stood there in a standoff with Neja and his troops.

The storm outside raged on with louder claps of thunder that rumbled in the floor. A loud crack cut through the silence followed by a deafening roar. All in the room flinched at the sudden sound. A bolt of lightning had hit incredibly close to the palace followed by a loud explosion. A rash of frantic voices filtered in from the hallway outside the dining area.

Neja was visibly concerned. He turned to the guard holding the girl. "Take her away and report to me what has happened."

The guard nodded and left quickly, dragging the terrified girl with him. For the first time since they had been brought to the room, O'Neill thought Neja looked lost, even worried. The explosion was loud, and a distant rumble could still be heard groaning in the distance.

The guard returned a moment later. "My lord, lightning has struck the weapons complex. There are overload alarms sounding."

Neja's eyes closed in frustration. He sighed heavily, his frustration mounting. When he opened his eyes again, he said, "Take these men to a holding cell and convene the constructs in the main chamber."

"As you wish, my lord," the guard said.

The guards moved in quickly and took custody of O'Neill and Jackson, leading them out of the dining chamber and into yet another hall. This one, though, was damp and laden with dirt. There were no shining surfaces in the part of the palace. The floor became mud beneath their feet.

They were quickly ushered into a cell near the end of the hall. As they entered, O'Neill saw a man sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. His legs were drawn up as he rested his forearms on them. It was no surprise that he was dirty. The entire cell was becoming one big mud pit with the rain leaking in from the walls.

The guards slammed the door shut, leaving the three men alone. Daniel walked to the wall and hoisted himself up to look out the small window. Outside, workers were running toward the teardrop complex as the emergency klaxons sounded in the night.

"Jack, take a look at this," Daniel said, dropping back down to the floor.

O'Neill moved to the window and pulled himself up to the bars. At first, he saw the confusion with the people running toward the teardrop. Then he saw the bright flash from within the shell. It lit the teardrop up in a blue glow. The light subsided, then was followed a few seconds later by another pulse. A hum began filling the air. The hair on O'Neill's arms stood on end. A highly charged electrical field was building.

He let go of the bars immediately and dropped to the floor once more. "Get down – it's gonna blow," he said to the two men. As he lay on the floor of the cell, he realized they were in an inch of water.

O'Neill closed his eyes. "Of course," he said, wincing in preparation to be electrocuted.

A bright flash and a deafening explosion filled the small cell as the teardrop overloaded. O'Neill was uncertain if he was still alive. He felt alive, but maybe that was a cruel joke being played on him. They should be dead. They should all be dead by the electrical current generated by the complex. Instead, only a tingle was felt.

O'Neill did a quick count of his fingers and found them all to be right where they should be. He looked at Daniel who was very still and afraid to move.

"Okay, what was that?" Daniel asked quickly.

"I think Neja's popsicle just exploded," O'Neill answered, getting to his feet.

He moved back to the window and pulled himself up again to get a better look outside. Across the compound lay scattered and burned bodies. Most of them were workers who had been running to get to the malfunctioning weapon. Flashes of light still emanated from inside the teardrop, casting a blue glow on the compound.

Jack lowered himself back to the cell floor. "We may have just caught a break. Looks like the inside of that thing is fried."

Daniel stood up. "Which is good for us, but we're still locked up. We have to find a way out of here."

"There is no way," said the man in the corner. "Believe me, I have tried."

Both men turned toward the voice. The man was in the process of sitting up, having hit the floor with O'Neill's warning. "And you are?" O'Neill asked.

"Probably the reason you are here."

O'Neill and Jackson glanced at one another. "Avedra?" Jackson asked.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Avedra said in a tired voice, leaning back against the wall.

"Irony, my ass!" O'Neill exclaimed. "You weren't where you were supposed to be!"

Avedra rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me, _general_."

"Colonel!"

"Whatever. It's not like I begged to be thrown in here."

"Hey, the least the Tok'ra could have done was tell us we were going to have to infiltrate a _castle_."

Avedra rubbed at his eyelids. "Palace," he said quietly.

Daniel gave a little wave of his shoulders. "I was going to say 'fortress', but that might be overstating the matter."

"It's certainly no straw hut." Avedra lowered his hands from his eyes and looked at them curiously. "No one told you of the construction here?"

O'Neill's sarcasm was reaching its peak. "Perhaps next time you and the Tok'ra can get on the same page before you send us out here. I'm sure you can understand why we don't trust you guys."

"Yes, I see your point," Avedra conceded. "In any case, we're locked in the bottom cells of a palace, which is rather ironic. Neja can barely afford to feed his troops, yet he can build this with all the ammenities."

Daniel leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "I think he forgot to send the decorator in here."

O'Neill calmed his voice. "So, what about that big blue lightning thing out there?"

"That, Colonel," Avedra said, "is what should have you worried."

"Before or after it blew up?"

"It does not matter. He has already made enough developmental progress on this prototype to build others in a fraction of the time."

Daniel sat down on the floor, finding a spot that did not have too much standing water. "What does it do, exactly?"

"I still do not understand the entire process behind it, but I have observed its construction and design for many days. It uses a combination of minerals found on Beman to create an energy field. Devices inside the complex focus this energy into a flat beam. Once the Stargate is activated and a wormhole established, the beam can then be directed through the gate to the other side, regardless of the origin of the traveler."

"What happens on the other side?" Daniel asked.

"Matter transferrence," he continued. "Energy particles are sent through the wormhole to a destination and reassembled. With it, Neja could transport entire weapons systems and strike at his enemies without ever leaving the comfort of this world."

"Kinda sucks that he doesn't work for the good guys, eh?" O'Neill quipped.

Outside, another torrent of rain began. Water seeped down to the floor of the cell. The air filled suddenly with energy. The three men instinctively lay flat on the floor. A bright flash and a thunderous explosion filled their senses. When it was over, they cautiously sat up, the scent of ozone hanging thickly.

"That was interesting," O'Neill said to no one in particular. He hoisted himself up to the window again. "It's still glowing."

Avedra stood now and moved to the window. O'Neill stepped aside and gave him room. The young man drew his head up to the bars and looked out. "I think it is overloading. The controls may have been damaged by the lightning that struck it."

"Now there's irony for you," Jackson said. "A lightning machine being struck by lightning."

Avedra lowered himself to the floor. He turned to the two men. "You know my name, but I do not know yours."

Daniel held up his hand. "I'm Daniel Jackson of SG-1, and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill."

He accepted the handshake. "I am pleased to meet you but regret the circumstances."

O'Neill felt his anger at the situation beginning to subside. It would not do them any good to be angry. They had to think of a way to get out of their cell and back to the shuttle. "We've been in worse," he offered. "Look, we need to get out of here. Anyone have any ideas?"

"I am sorry, but I am at a loss," Avedra said shaking his head. "I have been here for days, moved from place to place. The corridor to this cell is the only way out. Of this I am sure."

Jack leaned up against the cell wall but pulled away when his shirt began to soak through. He brushed off the grit from the wall that stuck on his sleeve. That made him stop. He put his hand on the wall, feeling the sandstone roll beneath his fingers. He smiled inwardly.

Cells, like cookies, were made to be broken.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Carter and Teal'c lay nestled under a canopy of low plants, hidden from view as the rain continued to fall in a steady rhythm. The bulk of the storm had passed, leaving ambient flashes of light behind the valley's hills. They had witnessed the lightning strike the teardrop and the aftermath. Several of the patrol units they had been dodging suddenly headed back to the palace to assist in bringing the overloading weapons complex under control.

She had noticed Teal'c taking several surreptitious looks at her hand. Blood had begun to seep through the bandages where the cliff had cut deep into the flesh parts of her fingers. She flexed the swelled fingers, wincing slightly at how they ached with the action.

"Are you certain you are able to continue, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "I don't think they're broken. A few stitches, maybe, when we get back."

"Have you been observing the activities around the palace?" he asked, bringing the topic back to business. The two had not been able to converse much while avoiding the patrols.

She looked down in the valley below. "That storm really did some damage. Looks like they're scrambling to keep the weapons complex from blowing up."

The teardrop pulsed with blue light again as she looked on, then an arc of energy shot out toward the Stargate some fifty meters away from it. Carter was mesmerized, not only with the physics of what was happening, but also by the color of the energy. Soothing blue hues gave the arc a false image of beauty. The truth of its nature was that it was most deadly.

The arc was not randomly striking the gate, she found after having watched it for the twelfth time as they rested under the brush. Rather, it was symmetrical and aimed toward where the event horizon would have been had an address been dialed. Carter could only guess that the targeting systems in the teardrop had been destroyed, sending the emission off course and allowing it to strike the gate instead of pass through the ring. What she would give to get a look inside the complex at the guts of the thing.

"Wow, that's some toy," she said with a hint of admiration, reiterating O'Neill's colloquialism.

"Is it not possible the emissions from the overload have damaged the gate? Perhaps Neja's ability to use the gate has been compromised."

"I'd say there's a chance it's damaged something given the power of that thing, but there's no way we can tell if the DHD's been fried. Gates were built to last."

Teal'c paused a moment, concerned. "I have seen no sign of Daniel Jackson or Colonel O'Neill."

"Neither have I," she admitted, shaking her head. She shared his concern with equal depth. "But we're still pretty high up," she offered. "We need to get down closer. We might see where they are, then." She checked her watch. "The work crews should be coming out soon. We'll look for Avedra while we're at it."

"The patrols appear to have returned to the palace."

"Let's hope so. I get the bad feeling that Neja knows we're here. Too many of them in the hills here to be just coincidence."

"I agree, Major Carter. We must remain diligent in our steps."

The skies to the east were beginning to lighten, signifying the impending sunrise. To the west, stars began to become visible in the waning night sky. While it was still raining, the storm was moving on. Carter and Teal'c would lose the advantage the rain had been providing in masking their sound soon.

"Ready?" she asked, putting away the binoculars again.

"Indeed," he said with a conviction she took comfort in as they prepared to move out. The man was always ready for a fight. Just the same, he was also patient in his strategies. SG-1, as a whole, was, which was why the Jaffa fit in so well with O'Neill and the rest of the team. They were patient hunters, awaiting their quarry when it was in view.

Teal'c let the cover of the brush first, followed a few steps later by Carter. Their movement down the mountainside was staggered, never giving any lurking patrols the opportunity to kill them both in one fell swoop.

Carter could not deny the fatigue she was feeling. Every muscle ached, and her hand throbbed each time her pulse rose with their travel. Fortunately, the FN/P90 – 4 she carried hooked to a harness around her torso. At least she could let her good hand rest as they moved. If she had to, she could bring the weapon to the ready with her bad hand. She was sure of that. She could do a lot of things when the Goa'uld threatened. They all could. They had done extraordinary things when most said it was impossible. She decided this would be another time they would do it, finding Avedra and all of them going home in one piece, the most extraordinary act of all.

Teal'c suddenly bent on one knee and took cover, motioning for Carter to do the same. At first, there was no sound, just the remains of the rain and a light breeze. Then she heard it. The clanking boots of the patrol approached. There were fewer guards this time, two to be exact.

Carter pressed close to the tree shielding her, trying to minimize her target area. She kept her eyes trained on the two approaching guards with the glowing red eyes of their raised helmets, praying they would turn direction and not notice the two intruders hiding on their watch. She quietly brought her P90 up to the ready, ignoring the pain in her fingers as she cradled the barrel in her left hand.

She glanced over to check on Teal'c position only to find him gone. Then she spotted him in the dim light, withdrawing his field knife from its sheath on his equipment vest. Carter followed his lead and installed a silencer on her P90. The takedown needed to be silent and without flash in the early dawn light. Teal'c's staff weapon and zatniketel would have been loud and bright and would have brought more patrols without a doubt.

She waited until she saw Teal'c move in silently behind the two guards. His arm wrapped around the head smaller guard, thrusting the knife between the folds of the soft gray armor. In that moment, Carter stood and fired off several rounds dead center at the lead guard. The bullets hit with soft thumps and tiny sparks as they pierced the guard's armor, bringing him to the ground with a soft groan.

"We must hide the bodies," Teal'c said, and began dragging his kill to a patch of standing fern-like plants.

Carter stood there a moment, staring at the man she had killed just moments earlier. _How many times have I done that_, she asked herself. For all intents and purposes, the man was human. The larva inside him was the enemy, yet they had killed the host time and time again.

She knelt down and depressed the helmet release near the neck of the armor. The serpent head peeled back and retracted into the shoulder fitting. The man inside was young, his mouth slack and slightly open. His eyes stared ahead, lifeless and unseeing. The skullcap he wore reflected the first rays of dawn as it rose over the mountain.

She stared at him for a while, her thoughts flooded with so many memories. Jolinar's consciousness invaded again, added to the pictures in her mind. These images, though, brought back the reasons Earth and the Tok'ra and all the allies were fighting the Goa'uld. Memories of torture were vivid, the sheer evil acts of the system lords impressed upon the helpless. The memories belonged to her, as well, not just Jolinar. So much pain, so much suffering . . . and not enough bullets to bring it to an end once and for all.

Then Teal'c was standing above her again, effectively stopping the waves of images.

"Major Carter, I must hide his body," he said, although she could detect the concern in his voice at her actions.

She nodded and stood back up, giving Teal'c room to step in and hoist the man up by the arms. Carter checked the ammunition in her P90, sure that she had not fired off more than ten rounds. The magazine was nearly full, only eight rounds spent. Teal'c finished camouflaging the bodies and returned to her side. She anticipated him saying something, questioning again if she was able to continue, but he was silent. He merely nodded that it was time to go again.

They continued down the hill, all the more cautious now that the sun was on the rise. The rain had vanished, as well. They were losing their nighttime advantages one by one with each passing hour.

The terrain changed quickly as they approached the lower altitudes. The thicker vegetation gave them more hiding places when a patrol would pass by. It also made for more difficult travel. Trails had been cut through but were unwise to travel on since the patrols used them.

They came upon another set of cliffs. This time, they found a decent observation point where they could look down on the valley in great detail. Carter withdrew the binoculars again and peered down at the complex.

"It's still overloading," she said. The blue pulsing was still visible even in daylight. With that, another arc burst forth toward the gate. This time, though, no one scrambled to get out of the way. No one even dare go near the complex for fear of the power inside. For the first time, she could see the area around the complex.

Or, rather, what was left of them.

Piles of ash lay all around the front of teardrop, reminding Carter instantly of Hiroshima and the instantaneous death brought about by the atomic bomb. People that were unaware had been reduced to carbon ash by the teardrop. A chill went up her spine when she considered the possibilities of what would happen to a place such as the SGC if it were hit.

"There appear to be no workers out today," Teal'c noted.

"Definitely not in our favor," Carter answered, still surveying the scene through the binoculars. She then handed them to Teal'c. "If they aren't out, that means Avedra isn't out. The Colonel and Daniel are going to have a hard time rescuing someone who isn't there."

Teal'c put the binoculars down. A serious look was on his face, more so than usual. "There is something peculiar about the palace."

Sam's ears perked. "What about it?"

"There is a lack of protection around its perimeter. There are key areas not guarded by any patrols."

"Well, maybe they're staying out of the way of the complex and that overload."

He handed the binoculars back to her. "Look, at the top of the palace. There are no weapons."

Carter could see it even without the binoculars once Teal'c pointed it out to her. "Well, that explains why we were able to land here without a problem."

"Precisely," Teal'c answered grimly. "If there were weapons in place, we would have been destroyed entering the atmosphere by long-range assault cannons."

"Good point." She checked her watch. "We have to get a lead on Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. We're running out of time to get back to the rendezvous."

"I agree. I suggest we move in closer in the event they need assistance."

She was about to answer when the teardrop cracked loudly as another bolt of energy cut through the air. Carter's heart thumped with surprise every time it happened. The complex pulsated again, as though a breathing monster gasping for air. It would then sleep for a few minutes, only to reawaken and fire off another burst of hot light.

Carter watched it for one more blast before she and Teal'c set out for a closer look at the palace and the weapons complex.

The sun was rising fast in the morning sky by the time they reached the next hiding post. The guards were all but gone now, making travelling much easier in the wake of the night's explosions. As they lay on the ground watching and waiting, a twig snapped. Carter and Teal'c froze. Teal'c's keen senses honed in on the direction of the sound.

He rose silently, motioning for Carter to split off and circle around the other way. They would trap whoever it was between them and once again make the kill quick and silent. Her P90 was still fitted with its silencer in case just such a need arose.

There was no clear line of sight to the target. Standing vegetation with large leaves blocked her view. She had completely lost track of Teal'c, but she could hear the rustling sounds of someone working through the vegetation thirty feet in front of her.

Her inner senses told her there was no threat. Why would the guards be walking off the trails? Jaffa were strategic in their moves, sometimes dangerously predictable. This movement, though, was haphazard and frantic. She could hear the fight the person was having with the vines on the ground.

Carter moved in quickly and carefully. Her finger curled around the trigger of her rifle. She started on an intersecting course to the north. She would see who or what it was that was making all the noise in a matter of a few steps.

She moved in quickly and took up a kneeling position in the path of the oncoming individual. She brought her P90 up to the ready, easing her finger off the trigger for the moment until she was sure she would have to fire off a round.

But she would not fire off a round at all – not at an old man in a torn tunic running for his life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Oh, we are _so_ _not_ staying here," O'Neill said emphatically as the sound from the overload dissipated. He was getting tired of lying in water every time the machine was going to zap the gate. His ears were starting to ring with the constant barrage of sound that filled the cell with each overload.

He got up and squeezed some water off the front of his shirt. He walked over to the window that led to the complex grounds and tugged on the bars. They spun around but did not give at all. Water was pouring in small streamlets down the walls. The sun was beginning to shine with strength, but the run off from the mountains was still heavy. His boots sloshed through the water as he walked the perimeter of the twelve-foot cell. The water was up to their ankles.

There was silence as he contemplated their options. There had to be a way out. Neja's forces were in disarray. If they were going to make a break for it, this was the time to do it.

"Daniel, keep an eye on the door," he said.

Jackson did as he was told, knowing better than to question O'Neill when it came to such situations. He walked to the door and peered out the tiny window.

Avedra leaned against the wall to the left of the door with his arms folded. "As I told you before, there is no way of escape. That corridor outside is the only way out of here," he said.

Daniel grimaced. "Nothing like a little defeatism to raise the spirits."

Avedra straightened. "I prefer to think of it as realism, Doctor Jackson. I have been in this prison for days. I have watched for any opportunity for escape, believe me."

"Maybe you just weren't looking in the right places," Jackson retorted.

O'Neill held up a hand to stop the arguing. "All right, look – we're never going to get out of here like this." He walked over to the wall by the window again and touched the sandstone walls. His fingers were covered with more grit than before when he brought his hand away. "We need something to dig with, something that will chip this wall away around the bars."

Avedra chuckled with incredulity. "You must be joking."

O'Neill looked at Jackson. "Daniel, have you ever known me to joke at a time like this?"

"Technically?"

He scowled at Daniel and turned to Avedra again. "Help us out here, eh? Any bowls or something to dig with in the corners?"

"Do you see any?" Avedra answered snidely, leaning back against the wall once more.

O'Neill took four fast steps in Avedra's direction. Avedra raised his hands defensively, preparing for O'Neill to take a swing. Jack reached out for the medallion around Avedra's neck and yanked on it hard, breaking the chain. The medallion looked like a Peruvian sun sculpture he remembered seeing in Daniel's office at some point. It was had probably been brass-like at one time, but sweat and age had no doubt tarnished it into its current state of brown. He cupped it in the palm of his hand, inspecting the spikes that comprised the sun's rays.

"This'll do," he said, returning to the window, medallion in hand.

"You mustn't take that!"

"I just did," O'Neill answered flatly as he walked back to the window. He knelt down in the standing water and began chipping away halfway down the wall.

"Do you plan on digging a tunnel, Colonel O'Neill?" Avedra said, taking a few steps toward O'Neill.

"Well," O'Neill explained slowly, "unless you want to bend your back so I can reach the bars, a foothold in the wall is probably a better solution, don't you think?"

Avedra's face softened. "Yes, I suppose it is."

O'Neill continued to dig the foothold, encouraged by the give of the wet stone. He knew he would have to dig deep, though, in order to find more solid rock that would support a man's weight.

"Jack, someone's coming," Daniel said urgently but quietly.

O'Neill stood quickly and tossed the medallion into the corner where it was well hidden by the murky water in the cell.

They heard the sound of wheels turning on a cart followed by footsteps of a group of people. Cries of pain and pleas for mercy filled the prison area. Jackson moved away from the door and stood next to O'Neill. The cart continued on, but the group of people, presumably jaffa, stopped in front of their cell door.

"Prisoners! Step away from the door!" a booming voice yelled.

A key was inserted into the lock, making a small click as it was turned. Then the guards entered the cell in a wave, taking hold of the three men. One by one, they were led out of the cell and up the corridor toward Neja's dining area.

The sweet smell of food was in the air again, only this time Jack's stomach revolted slightly at the scent. The last thing on his mind was to eat, and he was sure Neja was going to offer more food.

"Daniel," he asked as they walked, "tell me something – are you feeling a little . . ."

"Sick?"

"Yeah."

"I was trying to deny it."

"Yeah, me too."

The guards shoved them in the back and made the obligatory call for silence once more. They moved along at a measured pace, two guards taking the lead and four more flanking O'Neill, Jackson and Avedra.

Another burst from the overloading weapons complex send a reverberating rumble throughout the palace. The guards paused only a moment to assure themselves of their safety. They ushered the group quickly into the anteroom of Neja's chamber.

Through the anteroom, they walked on toward the dining hall. As the doors opened, O'Neill could see Neja lounging in his throne, his legs askew over the side. He looked tired, even for a system lord. He raised his hand lazily, motioning for the guards to bring the trio to his feet. "Come," he said.

The trio was pushed forward until they stood before Neja's throne. O'Neill cocked his head to the side. "Rough night?"

"Nearly as uncomfortable as yours, I'm sure, Colonel."

"Loved the fireworks, by the way," O'Neill answered bemusedly. He could choose to deal with Neja seriously or try the whimsical approach. Jack knew he never did "serious" well, so he chose the latter. "Something blow up out there, or do you do that for all the guests?"

Neja smiled wanly. "Let's not play games, O'Neill. You know what has happened, as I am sure your friend here has informed you."

"He's not our friend. You happened to throw us in a cell with him in it."

Daniel pushed his glasses up on his nose. "And a lovely cell it was, too, by the way," he said, following Jack's lead. "I especially liked all the water and mud. Very refreshing. Jack, what do you think – can we get one of those back at the base? Maybe a few mud baths in the steam room?"

"At least two. I'm all for three, but you know how budgets go."

"Enough!" Neja erupted, sitting up straight. His anger seethed forth, his eyes glowing. "Where are your companions?"

Jack's face played a dumbfounded look. "Companions? We don't have any companions. Nope, just me and old Doc Jackson here."

Neja's eyes glowed with hatred. "Do you play me for a fool? Four were seen exiting the ship that brought you here. Where are the other two in your party?"

Daniel turned slightly toward O'Neill and spoke to him directly. "My guess would be they're all figuring out a way to kill him," he said, shrugging his head toward Neja, "but you're more the military mind than I am. What do you think?"

O'Neill played along, turning to Daniel in response. "Yeah, I'd say that's about right. Maybe two are wiring this place with C4. We brought some of that along, I think. Of course, with the other six, you just never know. They're much more creative than I am about these things."

With a nod of instruction, Neja's guards each took a heavy swing at the backs of Daniel and Jack's legs. Both men let out a grunt of pain, hitting the floor on their knees with a thump. The humor had left the moment. Jack's anger returned with a vengeance. "Are we done yet?"

Neja sat back on his throne. "Your rhetoric is getting tiresome, Colonel O'Neill. We are now going to finish what was begun last night." With that, the girl who had served them dinner the night before was dragged in. She made no sound, knowing it would only bring retribution from the guards.

"Well, here's deja vu all over again," Daniel muttered quietly.

The girl was brought before them. Her eyes were swelled with exhaustion and tears. Neja took her by the hair and brought her close to O'Neill and Jackson for them to see. "I shall ask you again, Colonel, where is the rest of your team?"

"I told you, there's no one else but us here."

Neja moved swiftly and withdrew a zat gun from under his robes. He aimed it at the girl's temple. "The time for allegiance to your country has passed, Colonel. It's time for that nobility of yours to come into the fold." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and remember, there are a hundred children just like her. We'll continue this as long as it takes."

O'Neill glanced over at Avedra, who was still standing, albeit stiffly and with his jaw clenched. It flashed briefly through his mind that this girl might die for Avedra, but was there a bigger picture? Whose head was worth more? He looked at the girl, whose eyes were now closed. Her chin quivered with utter fear. She was an innocent. She had not chosen to be a player in this game. She had undoubtedly been enslaved to Neja's service by force.

Avedra, on the other hand, had chosen to put himself in harm's way. He had taken the risk of being caught for a reason. Sam and Teal'c were somewhere in the hills, obviously still able to take action since Neja was so bothered by the fact that his troops had not yet located them. There was the iris back at the SGC. That would hold against an electrical attack. Maybe a few fuses would blow? The iris would hold, just like it always did.

O'Neill looked at the girl again. There was no doubt that Neja would kill her. She was a pawn to him. Her shoulders jumped with a suppressed sob. Neja rewarded the movement with a hard jerk of her hair. Her head reeled back, trying ease the pulling of her thick black hair.

_Innocent._

He looked at Avedra again.

_Player._

He weighed the two against one another at lightning speed in his head at a million revolutions a second. One wrestled with the other until Neja broke the battle.

"Well, Colonel? What will happen to this girl?"

O'Neill looked at Daniel, who could see the answer before it was ever spoken. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, agreeing with O'Neill's decision.

Jack looked back at Neja, seeing the resolve to kill the girl if necessary to get what he wanted. There would be no need. He would give Neja what he wanted in order to save the girl.

"She'll live."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The old man slammed into Carter, sending both of them sprawling on the ground. After a brief moment of disorientation, the man scrambled to his feet and tried to run again. Carter grabbed hold of his tunic as she lay on her back.

"Hey! Wait a second!" she managed, holding tight to the fabric.

The man suddenly stopped struggling, prostrating himself on the ground. "Please," he said shakily, "have mercy on me, I beg of you. Kill me if you must, but please do not bring me before Lord Neja!"

Carter realized Teal'c was standing there. The old man must have seen the gold symbol imprinted on her friend's forehead and had assumed he was the enemy.

"There is no reason to fear me," Teal'c assured the man in gentle tones. "I am not as you think. We have come to do battle with the Goa'uld called Neja."

Sam sat up, feeling a stiffness developing in her shoulder. The man had hit into her like a linebacker on a tackling dummy. The old man was not buying Teal'c's explanation. He was still bowing down, trembling with fear.

"He's telling you the truth," she insisted. "We're here to fight Neja."

Seeing that the elderly man was not about to chance looking at a jaffa, Teal'c reached down and grasped the man by the arm. The man let out a small yelp of fear at the contact. Teal'c persisted, though, finally hauling him to his feet.

Then Carter got a good look at him. His hair was cut to the quick and snowy white. His beard was trim and formed to the shape of his slightly round face. Soft brown eyes were still afraid, not knowing if they were being deceived or not. Only when he turned his head to address Teal'c did she see the large gash near his temple.

"My lord," he stammered as he respectfully bowed his head to Teal'c again, "I do not understand who you are."

"We are from Earth, of the Tau'ri." For the moment, Teal'c gave up trying to keep the man from averting his eyes. "We seek any and all who will assist us in our fight against the Goa'uld."

Carter got to her feet. "Right now, we need to find our friends. Can you help us?"

The man turned to address her, although his head remained turned down in fear. "You seek the strangers captured by Lord Neja last night?"

"Captured?" Carter tried to keep her alarm from seeping into her voice.

The man's words came in a rushed explanation. "Yes, captured near the palace. They were taken inside, and that is the last I saw of their faces."

She lowered her rifle, trying to let the man relax. "Where would Neja take them?"

"To the holding cells, I am certain. Lord Neja was quite angry when he saw the ship entering his domain. He immediately dispatched patrols to capture those aboard it."

Carter sighed. It was frustrating when intuition was on the money in cases like this one.

The gash on the man's head caught her attention once more. It was deep and oozing. She looked beyond the man at Teal'c. "We need to find a place to rest and take care of his head. It's a pretty deep cut."

The man bravely looked up at her. "You are truly not of Neja's guards?" He was still painfully afraid.

Teal'c stepped closer. "As I said before, we are not."

The man seemed to ponder Teal'c's words. His breathing had calmed, though his shoulders were still taut with tension. "There is a cave in the hills. It is not far. There may still be provisions inside."

Carter looked at Teal'c. "It beats playing hide and seek out here," she offered.

"Indeed," Teal'c said quietly, lowering his staff weapon to a defensive position.

Together, they began hiking back up the hillside toward the lower set of cliffs. Not a word was spoken as they moved through the cover of the woods. When they reached the mouth of the cave, Carter and Teal'c put on the night vision goggles again and entered the cave cautiously. The ceiling was low, causing them to stoop as they progressed inside the hole. Not too far inside, the cave opened up into a high vault where they could fully stand. The air smelled of fresh soil, and the sound of water dripping echoed in the distance. Great stalagmites and stalactites formed a macabre set of teeth in the green glow of the night vision. She shivered at the sudden onslaught of cool air permeating the cave.

The cave curved away from the entrance. Teal'c and Carter systematically cleared the area as they moved forward among the rock formations. They came upon a clearing in the cave. In the corner, Carter spotted what looked like an old fire ring and some wooden boxes. The old man was following close behind her, clutching her backpack as a guide in the dark.

"Corners are clear, Teal'c," she said.

"The cave appears secure, Major Carter."

Carter kicked on the flashlight attached to her P90, sweeping the cave with the beam. She pointed it toward the fire ring, then at the wooden boxes stacked behind it. The old man let go of her pack and headed straight for the boxes.

"Providence is with us, my friends," he said excitedly. "They have not found this place in all these years!" He knelt down at the boxes and began opening them in the beam of Carter's light.

"Hey," she said, hearing a muffled echo of her voice bounce off the cave walls, "what's your name?"

The man stopped his rifling of the boxes and quickly returned to Carter and Teal'c. "Many apologies! Forgive me. It's just that it's been so long since I have been out of the rule of Neja." He took her hand in his, palm to palm, covering their hands with his right. The greeting had a ritualistic air about it. "I am called Antalus."

Carter nodded and accepted the form of the handshake as graciously as she could. Antalus extended the same action to Teal'c who, in turn bowed his head in acceptance of the custom.

"That's Teal'c, and I am Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force."

"You have many names, Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force!" Antalus exclaimed, never stuttering over a syllable in his recitation.

"Antalus is your full name?" she inquired.

"Oh, yes," he answered with a smile. "My people believe that the brevity of one's name lends itself to individuality." He returned to the boxes in the corner. "Come, let us check our supplies."

Carter moved closer to shed more light on Antalus' search. He was methodically going through the boxes, not tearing them apart as it had appeared earlier. He smiled with satisfaction as he pulled off one particular box lid. He pulled up a cylindrical object that was a muted red color. He said nothing but smiled again at Carter and Teal'c, as though he had found the big prize in a claw machine. He placed the object in the center of the fire ring and laid his hand on the side of the tube's shell.

The cylinder began to glow, emanating heat and light in the cave. When the glow was strong enough to light the cave, Carter flipped off the light on her rifle. She moved near Antalus and pulled one of the boxes over to use as a stool. Teal'c followed suit.

"Antalus, what is this place?" she asked.

Antalus stopped his inventory of the boxes once more. "Our home, if you will believe that. When we first started exploring this planet, this cave acted as our first shelter. This was before we established our settlement, of course."

"This isn't your home world?" Sam inquired. "We were told your people were indigenous to this planet."

He smiled fondly. "No, our home world is very far away from this place. We were explorers in a ship that danced among the stars."

"Where is your ship now? Is there anyone else who can help us?"

His smile quickly faded and was replaced by sadness. "We are all that remain of our ship's crew. When Neja arrived nearly five seasons ago, he destroyed the ship and those on it." Antalus looked to the ground and swallowed, as though struggling to control his emotions. "Those of use who had begun to establish our settlement were quickly subdued by his guards. We tried to fight them, but they were far better equipped for battle than we were. Those who were not killed during the invasion were enslaved to build weapons of war for him."

His eyes held were held in reverie with visions she could only imagine. She felt sorrow for him, having heard a story like his time and time again where the Goa'uld were involved. "I'm sorry, Antalus."

He looked at her once more, his spirits instantly lightening. "But now you bring hope that there is a way to defeat Neja. We are able to take action from these hills."

"Indeed we are, Antalus," Teal'c said. "There is much to be done. First, we must free our friends. If they are free, our chances for victory will be greatly increased."

Antalus shook his head, confused. "But I do not see how we can free them without returning to Neja's palace."

Carter looked at Teal'c. "He's right. We're going to have to find a way to flush them out of that palace or get close enough to them to make a run for it."

She jumped as her radio suddenly crackled to life. The comm was keyed two times. "Sierra Golfs One, Two and Three, uh, olly olly oxenfree." She checked her watch. It was O'Neill calling forty-six minutes too early.

The comm was keyed twice once more in two tiny clicks. "Sierra Golfs One, Two and Three, the cat's out of the bag, boys. Surrender yourselves to the first patrol you find or come on down to the fort. You have one hour or else Neja will kill a Beman girl he's holding hostage."

The transmission ended. They waited for any additional message, but none came. She looked at Teal'c, trying to decipher just what it was that O'Neill wanted them to do. Antalus, in the meantime, seemed more intrigued by the radio as a communication device than by the message it had just broadcasted.

O'Neill had been clear in his orders before they had separated. He would not go against those orders. No team leader would using the vernacular he spoke, she knew. "Sierra Golfs One, Two and Three?" she asked, thinking aloud.

"O'Neill is attempting to make us appear more formidable than we are," Teal'c offered.

"Well, that creates one small problem – we're not. We have one hour to do whatever it is we're going to do. I don't think he was kidding about Neja's threat to kill a girl. It was the only legitimate thing he said."

The old man agreed. "Neja is not known for innuendo. If he says the girl will die, then she will die."

Teal'c turned to Antalus again. "Is there no other way to infiltrate the palace without being detect by the patrols?"

Antalus thought for a moment then rubbed at his beard. "There is a tunnel that runs below the maltak, but it has always been heavily guarded to prevent escapes."

Sam sighed inwardly at the cultural divide that once again reared its ugly head. "Maltak?"

"The great weapon aimed at the ancient ring." He gave a curious look. "I don't suppose you know how the ring works, do you? It has been of great interest to my people since we arrived."

Sam stood. "As a matter of fact, yes, we do. I'll be happy to tell you all about it later, but right now we need to bandage the cut on your head and try to get to that tunnel."

Antalus dismissed her concern for his wound. "We have little time to worry about me! I will tend to it on the way with a boca stem if we pass by one."

On any other day, at any other time, Carter would have made detailed inquiries about the healing powers of a boca stem. This was neither the time nor the place to be a scientist. It was time to be a soldier and all that it entailed. "Where do we end up once we go through the tunnel?"

"It leads to the operations center of the maltak."

"_Inside_ it? Isn't it overloading?"

"The command center is quite shielded. The generator it controls will not harm those inside the shield. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those outside its protection." Antalus gave a somber look, and Carter knew why. The piles of ash around the maltak were evidence of what happened to those who were not afforded the protection of the shield.

"Okay," she said, a glimpse of a plan formulating in her head. "Antalus, what advantages will we have by going inside the maltak?"

"Several," he answered. "The two most important ones I can tell you are that objects may leave the shielding, but they cannot penetrate it."

"I don't follow. You mean the entire shell of the maltak is a shield?"

"Yes. The shielding was designed with warfare in mind. Once activated, objects such as discharged weapons and soldiers may pass through the protective shield to the outside. However, they may not come back inside once they have left."

"A one-way door," Carter said in summation.

"That may be a great tactical advantage to us if we can remain hidden," Teal'c noted.

Carter nodded. "Yeah, it would get us in close. Question is, what do we do once we're there? It didn't look like there were many places to hide inside."

"Oh, there are many good hiding places within the maltak!" Antalus promised. "We should be able to see all that goes on in the settlement from there."

Sam's confusion rose again. From the hills, they had seen nothing remotely resembling a settlement. All they saw was the palace and the maltak. "We didn't see any houses or buildings from the hills. Where do your people stay when they're not working outside?"

"It is all contained under Neja's palace. He told us he had it built around us to protect us. We knew, though, that it was to keep us under control and to keep us captive.'

Teal'c leaned the staff weapon against the wall. "We do not believe the palace to be heavily armed."

Antalus smiled with humor. "I am glad to hear that. The construction was so hasty and poor that it is unlikely the roof will hold the weight of weapons." He let out a soft giggle that was quickly brought under control.

Sam warmed her hands in the light of the cylinder. "What can we expect at the tunnel entrance?"

Antalus turned to search through more of the boxes. "Normally, I would say that it would be heavily guarded, but Neja transferred many of his guards to the hills to search for you. Not that he had that many guards in any case, you see. He lost some to the maltak's malfunction."

"So, how many are we talking total?" Sam asked, pulling out her canteen and taking a sip.

"At last count, Neja had sixty-six guards at his disposal. A squad of twelve was killed by the maltak, so that leaves fifty-four."

"And Teal'c and I killed two in the hills. That makes fifty-two."

Teal'c glanced at Carter. "At least half of those will remain to guard Neja in his palace."

"Okay," she continued, "so we count on two squads outside looking for us."

"One squad will create a perimeter around the compound," Teal'c added.

"And one splits into six pairs looking for us, like the two we killed," she finished taking another sip of water. "Makes the odds a little more fair." She shrugged at Teal'c sheepishly, quietly adding, "Sorta."

Teal'c raised a knowing brow, and a barely noticeable smirk formed on his lips. The man lived to do battle, but even he could appreciate the absurdity of what they were about to do. The odds were mounting against them. SG-1 had not been in the habit of leaving members behind, and it was doubtful Teal'c was ready to change that habit any more than Carter was.

She slipped her canteen back in the sleeve on her web belt again. "How far is it to the tunnel entrance, Antalus?"

He was still rummaging in the boxes, removing items from one box and consolidating them in another. "It is not far," he assured her. "We were quite close to it where you found me."

Carter watched his interest in the boxes intently. He appeared to be looking for something important but had not yet found it. "I don't suppose you have any weapons we could use in those boxes?"

"No," he answered, then stopped his search. He looked up at her with sadness again. "We were too shortsighted to think that peaceful explorers would need weapons of death to protect us. It was a costly error for my people." He waited for a moment then returned to the boxes again, as though to close the subject.

She wished she could comfort him, but there were an inadequate number of words to comfort a man who had apparently lost so much. Besides, there was not much time for such things if they were going to pull off an insane rescue mission. "We need to get going. There's not much time."

He nodded weakly. "Allow me to take a drink from the spring before we leave. My throat is rather dry."

Teal'c stood and picked up his staff weapon again. "You do not become ill from the water?"

Antalus gave a confused look. "Why would the springs be poisonous? They are nearly the only resource still pure since Neja took over this planet. He has us bring water from the mountain because of the run-off from the maltak. The water table in the valley has become contaminated with toxic waste produced by the generator." He found a cup in one of the boxes. "Only when there are heavy rains that cause standing water do we fear sickness. Then, the toxins rise up and cause an uncontrollable nausea. We have had many die from dehydration. Without the proper medicines to treat the sick, there is little we can do but help them to wait out their illness."

Teal'c looked as surprised as Sam felt. She felt shocked that such a key factor of their mission would be misrepresented. She filed away her suspicions in the back of her mind. There was no time to decipher the who or the why. That would have to be dealt with later when they were all back within the safety of the SGC. Even then, it would not be up to her to figure it all out. It would be up to General Hammond, maybe NID, maybe some other black ops organization.

She waited for Antalus to quench his thirst before they set out through the woods toward the tunnel. The sun was high and the temperature was rising. The humidity grew thick from the saturated soil that could hold no more water. Teal'c led the way, stopping every now and then to listen and track the movements of the patrols.

If Antalus was right, then Daniel and O'Neill might be in more trouble than just being prisoners. Avedra, she realized, might be in the same boat since he was not yet blended. The situation was going from bad to worse as the contemplated the possibilities. Finally, she decided it was better not to borrow trouble. She and Teal'c, and even Antalus, would deal with things as they happened, no matter what that could mean.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

They reached the tunnel entrance quickly with Antalus as a guide. It lay at an angle on the hill above the valley, opposite the Stargate and Neja's palace. As Antalus had estimated, there were no guards near the gate guarding it.

Still, Teal'c and Carter put on their night vision once more and began securing the area just inside the entrance. It was pitch black to the naked eye, but the night vision brought out the details of the sloping tunnel. The walls were wet with condensation. Water droplets clung to the ceiling before finally falling to the heads of the travelers. Teal'c was slightly hunched over to avoid scraping his head against the ceiling. There was not much room to maneuver vertically, but the horizontal space gave just a bit more than elbowroom.

Carter thought the tunnel to be a death trap in many ways. One good blast, and three people would be dead, all lying in a row. However, there was not much choice in order to get inside Neja's complex without being detected.

She instructed Antalus to walk between her and the Jaffa so she could walk backwards and keep the rear clear of pursuing patrols. He kept a hand on her pack to guide her. They seemed to walk forever, stumbling over small inclines and recesses in the walkway until the path smoothed out and became a straight line.

The rumble of the overloading maltak rolled through the tunnel with every explosion. The closer they got, the louder the snap and thunder of the weapon became. To their advantage, it would mask their movement within the tunnel for short periods of time.

Sam's mind strayed back to the images of the ashen bodies outside the maltak. They were getting close to those bodies. She gave consideration to the fact that they were in a wet tunnel, underground, and not grounded in the least against electrical discharges.

"Antalus, how much further?" she asked.

"We are close," Antalus whispered, even though it was not necessary. The blasts from the maltak were ringing throughout the tunnel. In the distance could be heard the steady whine of the generator preparing to let loose with another emission.

Carter was glad. She was getting tired of walking backwards. "Okay, Teal'c, let's hold up here a second."

She turned around to face Antalus. He was clearly blind in the tunnel, his eyes straying to the general direction of her voice. "Antalus, I don't get it. When the maltak started to overload, why didn't your people just go through this tunnel and get out?"

"There was much panic. Neja had been asking us to build something far too dangerous to be even considered. When it began to malfunction, we had no idea what would happen. The workers believed it would be more dangerous to stay inside than to leave the confines of the control area. The blast caught them outside the shield, and they died."

Teal'c turned slightly toward Antalus. "You did not follow them?"

"No," Antalus replied in a small voice. "I stayed on the lower level, trying to shut the reactor down. I was closer to this tunnel than to the shield. After the first overload, I ran through here until I found the hills."

Carter could not control her anxiety concerning the risks they were taking as they approached the maltak, and she stated as much to old man. "Just how dangerous will it be when we get close enough?"

"The strikes are aimed primarily at the great ring. The matter stream appears to be attracted to it above the ground, so I should say we're quite safe down here."

"Matter stream?" Carter was alarmed. "I thought the maltak was like a lightning machine that could be used like a weapon in open wormholes?"

Antalus gave a surprised look in the eerie glow on the night vision. "Oh, no," he countered. "Neja tasked us with sending matter through to an origin and reintegrating it on the other side."

Carter concern grew. "So, you're saying Neja would be able to send weapons to the other side of a wormhole . . . upstream?"

"Oh, quite effectively. Troops, weapons – anything of relative size to the destination. You'll see once we get inside. It will be clearer to you, I promise."

She looked at Teal'c whose countenance mirrored her concern, even though his eyes were masked by the night vision goggles. This was news, big news. Once again, the Tok'ra had failed to mention the small details that would have made all the difference. She had to give the benefit of the doubt, though, that perhaps they did not really know the true purpose of the machine. Maybe Avedra would have come back with the details of the operation and warned them that they had been on the wrong track.

Then again, maybe they did know.

It crept into the corner of her consciousness that her father might have known, as well. A twinge of anger rose unexpectedly, even though she had no grounds for it. Someone was always in the know, and often it wasn't the SGC. It was a growing conflict for her to think that her father was withholding information that could help SG1 and its mission.

Carter sighed. There was a time and a place for everything. This was not it for deciphering the covert operations of the Tok'ra. That would have to come later. Now was the time to get to O'Neill and Jackson and get them home, hopefully with Avedra in tow.

"All right, let's get moving. We'll need all the time we can scrape together to figure out what to do."

The two men nodded, and Carter turned around to guard from the entrance of the tunnel. Together, they resumed their journey as they had been travelling for the previous twenty minutes. Their pace was slow but sure. Teal'c's led them through the dark until they came to the hatch above an embedded ladder in the wall of the tunnel.

"This is it!" Antalus whispered.

Carter scanned the hatch through the night vision. A heavy seal surrounded its edge, protecting the tunnel against potential cascades of whatever lay above it.

Teal'c stepped on to the ladder, climbing up the five rungs until he reached the hatch door. He reached out to the handle and broke the seal, gently pushing up on the door until light could be seen slipping around the edges.

Sam nodded for him to proceed. She raised her P90 to cover him as he climbed the ladder and into the facility above it, his staff weapon at the ready. She pulled Antalus behind her to shield him from any attack that might come from the lab. There was a tense moment of silence where she could sense no movement from Teal'c. Then he appeared in the hatchway, motioning for them to come up the ladder and into the lab he had secured.

She brought Antalus in front of her again and helped him up the ladder where Teal'c took hold and hauled the man to the next level. Then she climbed the ladder, accepting the Jaffa's helping hand in crossing the threshold of the escape route.

What Sam saw when she was finally upright took her breath away. She slipped off her goggles and stared in awe at her surroundings. The lab was not just a place of research. It was the heart of the maltak, guts of what she had been watching so intently from the hills. A wide cylindrical reactor shimmered in the center of the otherwise darkened room, glowing hot blue and white and pulsing with unimaginable power. She stood there, mesmerized by the cataclysmic reactions taking place within the chamber's walls in random patterns of unpredictable energy.

Antalus walked to the other side of the reactor to a control station. He called for them. Sam joined Teal'c at the man's beckoning.

The elder pointed to the screen at flashing red icons that dotted the outline of the maltak's structure. Even though the readout was in a language she didn't have a prayer of understanding, she knew the significance of flashing red things. Flashing red things were always bad.

"Let me guess," she said wincing, "that's not a good sign?"

Antalus shook his head. "No, our time here will be limited before this entire facility overloads."

Teal'c grimaced. "Is it not already overloading?"

The old man gave a small giggle of irony. "Oh, no. This is nothing compared to the final phase of the overload. At this point, the maltak is still venting excess power it generates. However, the control cycles that prevent it from building up are degrading. Once they are gone, the maltak will overload completely, destroying everything in this valley."

Carter shifted the straps on her pack. "You wouldn't happen to have an idea of when that will be, would you?"

Antalus frowned. "I wish I could say, but the control cycles are failing randomly. It could be days or only moments. I would have to run a diagnostic on each of them to give you an exact answer."

"How many are there?"

"More than I have time to examine," he answered knowingly. He pulled up a schematic of the control cycles and their status.

Sam shook her head. "I'm not even going to pretend I know what I'm looking at," she said, turning toward the reactor once more. "I wish we had more time and under different circumstances."

Antalus stepped to her side. "As do I, Samantha Carter," he comforted. "This place may have been built at Neja's beckoning and terror, but it was built with a heart for science and a desire to live. That's a much stronger power than anything you may see in that reactor."

She took one more look at the reactor, wanting and wishing for things that would probably never be. She then pulled her attention away from it and back toward recovering O'Neill and Jackson. "There's a level above this one?" she said, unconsciously looking up at the ceiling.

"Yes," Antalus affirmed. "The reactor spans both floors. The transfer stage is on the ground level."

She hated to continually ask questions, but there was no choice. "Transfer stage?"

"Where the object to be sent is dematerialized for travel," Antalus answered. "It may be worth your while to look at it before this place is no more."

Carter looked around the room. "Yeah, well, if we have time. Right now, we need to get to the Colonel and Daniel."

"Agreed," Teal'c rumbled.

Antalus nodded. "Of course. This way to the upper level," he said, motioning for them to follow to an adjacent door.

The stairwell curved up into the next level, spiraling around the reactor like a snake until it led to the ground floor of the maltak. Carter's senses were aware of the distinct lack of sound. It was disconcerting in a way. Sound meant the enemy could be heard. Libraries weren't this quiet. It gave her a sense of apprehension she could not quell.

Teal'c moved ahead, systematically securing the ground level of the facility that was not in the direct sight of Neja's guards. Carter and Antalus crouched down near a control panel as Teal'c cleared the corners of the upper lab. Outside, Carter could see movement. A freak wave of alarm passed through her that, if she could see them, they could see her and Antalus. She stayed very still, unsure of the limitations of their new environment. There was something altogether unsettling about infiltrating the heart of the enemy and basking in its weaponry with a hint of audacity. What they were about to do was ludicrous. Where they were was crazy. And she prayed to God it would work.

Teal'c motioned for Carter to approach an alcove that overlooked the compound. She carefully made her way across the lab to the spot where Teal'c sat on his haunches, taking care not to move too quickly or attract the attention of Neja's troops.

"I believe I have located Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson," he said.

"Where?"

He handed a monocular to her. "At the base of the ship. There appear to be holding cells. I am certain I saw O'Neill."

She took a look for herself, patiently waiting for a head to appear where Teal'c had indicated. Sure enough, O'Neill's head popped up for an instant, then disappeared into the darkness behind the bars.

She returned the monocular to Teal'c. "On the bright side, we know where they are. Question is, how do we get them out of there?"

"I believe this is the time for the diversionary tactic."

Sam pondered Teal'c's idea and wished with earnest that there was another way. She didn't think Neja would let O'Neill and Jackson out any time soon. There was no choice. "Yeah, I think you're right. Any ideas?"

"We have sufficient quantities of C4 to create a distraction on the ridge. That will draw the guards away long enough for you to free O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."

_What the hell,_ she thought, _sounds like as good a plan as any._ She opened her pack and pushed two clay bars of C4 over to him. "Go make some noise, and I'll see if I can get some C4 to those bars and get them out. I'll call you when we're on our way, and we can rendezvous and make a run for the ship."

The reactor flashed with a blinding, silent pulse with no warning, leaving spots dancing in front of Carter's eyes. When they dissipated enough for her to make out small details again, she looked for Antalus to make sure he was still in one piece.

"Dammit! Where's Antalus?" she hissed.

Teal'c looked about the room. "I will check the lower level. Remain here."

She stayed and waited, covering Teal'c as he approached the stairwell to the lower level. Minutes passed like days as she waited for him to return. When he did, he looked calm and unnerved that the old man had disappeared on them.

"Antalus is on the lower level attempting to repair the maltak's venting systems," he informed.

"Any luck?"

"None so far, but he is confident he can increase the amount of time before the reactor overloads."

She sighed. "That's all well and good, but we're not leaving him here," she said adamantly. "Neja will kill him the minute he's captured. He can go with you to the . . . "

Teal'c looked her eye to eye, a solid relay of emotion. "Major Carter, I believe Antalus has made his choice. He has chosen to help us rather than bend to Neja's power."

She stared at him, then looked away, realizing in total what Teal'c was saying. Another man would die for the SGC, a man she didn't even know yet one who was willing to give all and be all for the freedom of a people he had never met.

Time was ticking away as she glanced at her watch. She looked up at Teal'c, whose eyes were soft, not stoic. They were understanding yet persistent. She nodded, conceding that they needed Antalus to buy them some time to escape. "Head for the hills. I'll wait for your signal, then try to get to Daniel and Colonel O'Neill. Hopefully, Avedra's in the mix somewhere."

He picked up his staff weapon and bowed his head to her, casting his eyes downward at the end, as though he felt the same as she. "I will return for Antalus if it is possible."

She gave solemn nod. She knew he would be true to his word. If there was a way to save the old man, Teal'c would chance whatever it took to get to him. "Go," she said quietly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Neja was easy to please. At least Jack thought so. He made the call to Carter and Teal'c on the radio – what Neja's purpose was, he did not know – and prayed they would understand that he was being forced and that it was in no way an order. The Goa'uld was true to his word and let the girl go. She ran out the door and into the compound.

That was the last he saw of her before the guards dragged the three men back to their cell and bodily threw them inside. It was about then that Daniel began heaving his guts out in the corner. The smell of the stagnating water was overwhelming. Jack's stomach rolled with the scent that was everywhere.

Avedra was slow to get up out of the water. On the way back, one of the guards thought it sporting to take batting practice on the man's ribs with a staff weapon for no particular reason other than to incapacitate him. O'Neill heard the distinct crack of bone as the weapon made contact. It had definitely left a mark and had accomplished what was intended. Even if they made it out of the cell, Avedra was no going to set any land speed records for escape.

After finding the medallion he had thrown into corner opposite Daniel, Jack forced himself to ignore his own nausea and began chipping away at the cell wall. His foothold was almost done. He tested it every now and then to see if it was deep enough to plant his foot amidst the overloads directed at the gate.

All was going well until the sound of Daniel's retching was too much to bear against Jack's own queasiness. In an instant, he took his own corner of the cell and emptied what little remained in his stomach against the wall. He clutched at the soft stone as he bent over and struggled to calm his insides.

"Ah, dammit," he said, out of breath and admonishing himself for his lack of willpower to fight the sickness. The world was spinning in six different directions at once, and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep. Maybe get the world to stop spinning, too, but sleep would be better.

Avedra approached. "Colonel O'Neill," he said, wrapping an arm under Jack's torso for support, "sit. Rest a moment."

"Just give me a second to catch my breath," Jack insisted, not willing to give up on his plan for escape over a little vomiting.

"I'm afraid neither of us can hold this position long. You must rest."

O'Neill heard the quiet grunt of pain Avedra tried to mask. Then he remembered the broken ribs again. He sat down, relieving Avedra. The room was getting damned cold. The sun was beginning to dip toward the fast track to sunset. The shadows on the cell wall grew dimmer with each passing moment.

Jack's hands were shaking and his skin ached even with the touch of his clothing. A violent shiver rolled through his body. His eyes were closed when he felt Avedra's hand on his forehead.

Fever.

He looked over at Daniel who was curled up in a ball trying to get warm. He was sick, too. Another wave of nausea hit, and Jack turned to the side to relieve it, gagging as Daniel had until he was sure he would cough up parts of his anatomy.

When he was done, he sat up straight again. There sat Avedra who, though he was in pain, showed no signs of wanting to have his stomach removed forthright from his insides.

"Well, aren't you lucky you're not sick?" Jack said, still breathing in small gasps.

Avedra smiled wryly. "There are advantages to not having a fully human anatomy. Evolution plays an ironic role at times."

"But you still have ribs, right?"

The Tok'ra shifted against the wall, reminded of his pain. "Yes, I still have those . . . I think."

Another shiver rocked O'Neill. He curled his arms around his body, trying to get warm. His teeth were chattering. "I don't remember drinking the water here. So, why are Daniel and I so sick?"

"You do not have to drink it to become ill," Avedra explained. "Simple contact is enough this close to the weapons complex. All ground water appears to be contaminated in the valley."

The words went in one ear and out the other for O'Neill. His summation was that half the mission was screwed unless Carter and Teal'c were in the miracle business. Even if they were, none of the three men in the cell were in any condition to travel fast enough to reach the shuttle. It wouldn't be enough to break out of the cell. They had to have a place to go once they were out, and they'd have to get there quickly without getting caught.

Jack got up and grabbed the medallion again. He headed back toward the wall and started chipping away at the stone. There was no way in hell they were going to stay in there without at least trying to make a run for it.

"Colonel O'Neill, I implore you to rest. Even if we do escape, how far do you think we will make it before being captured? We have nowhere to go."

A wave of anger snapped inside Jack. He turned it on Avedra with burning eyes. "Look, if you want to rot in this hellhole, be my guest. But Daniel and I are getting out of here as soon as I can get those damned bars off the window. Carter and Teal'c are still out there, so we're not alone. They'll help us as soon as they can."

Another overload ripped through the air. Jack's ears were ringing with the sound, never quite having enough time to recover from one blast to the next. "Y'know, that's _really_ getting old," he groused, pointing a finger in the direction of the complex.

He kneeled down in the water to get a better angle on the hole. It was so close to being finished. He had the time to work now. The guards were out doing better things, like trying to capture the rest of his team. There were no prying eyes to inhibit his efforts.

After digging a while more, despite aching skin and more riled waves of nausea, he thought the hold deep enough and stood to test it again. Slipping his foot inside, he put his full weight on the wall, reaching up and grasping the bars to pull his head up to the window. He caught a glimpse of something inside the complex. Or, rather, he saw someone.

It was Carter. It had to be. She was tucked down behind a panel, but he could see her head and the monocular aimed at the cell window. She was looking for them. She motioned for him to get down. She had seen him!

O'Neill jumped down off the wall and went immediately to Daniel's side. "Daniel, get up," he ordered, picking the younger man's curled up form off the cell floor. "Carter's out there. We're going to move soon."

Daniel reluctantly followed the tugging at his arms and got to his feet. "Jack?" he asked weakly.

"Yeah?"

"I feel horrible."

"I know, me too. What do you say we get off this rock and back to the SGC?" Daniel was burning up. O'Neill feared he matched the young scientist's temperature. Whatever was making them sick was gaining strength in their bodies and beating the hell out of their healthy insides.

Avedra went to the window and hoisted himself up using the foothold O'Neill had dug. He splashed down into the water a moment later, emitting another quiet grunt of pain from his broken ribs. "The sun is setting quickly. Darkness will be to our advantage."

O'Neill agreed. "Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too."

Daniel coughed, a spasm wracking his insides into suppressed heaves. When he calmed, he asked, "What about the bars? Give me a few more days of throwing up, and I might be able to squeeze through them. But I don't think we're that thin yet."

"Carter's got party favors in her pack," O'Neill assured. She and O'Neill routinely carried a small amount of C4, "plastique", for blowing things to hell and back when it required. Blowing the foundation off the bars would be a piece of cake, albeit a loud one.

Another blast from the complex jolted all three of them. O'Neill inwardly admonished himself for being surprised every time it blew. It was glorified artillery with an electrical twist. The fact that it could arc their way and fry them into nothingness in their cell was more intriguing now than worrisome. They would never know what hit them if it decided to go anywhere besides the gate.

O'Neill noticed for the first time that his knuckles were bleeding. The stone in the wall had scraped away the thin skin. It made little difference, though. If roughed up knuckles meant getting home, so be it. His insides were feeling a lot worse than his hands. His skin was more painful now than it had been an hour ago. He could feel his temperature rising with the assault on his body's defenses.

He carefully led Daniel to the floor and sat next to him. Neither of them had the strength to be at the ready for whatever Carter and Teal'c had in mind. He and Jackson would get up when it was required, and not a moment before that. They didn't have that much energy to expend. They would need it all to hike the hills toward the shuttle.

The shuttle.

Jack closed his eyes in disappointment. They had probably missed it. What time was it? Probably past time to plop down in the cold hull of the ship and catch some sleep. He held his head, wishing the cell would stop its merry-go-round movements. Which animal was he on? Oh yes, the pirate cat with a fish in its mouth. Or was it tiger with the cowboy hat? No music. That was good. Music meant noise, and noise meant more aggravation to his headache.

He opened his eyes. Had he dozed? He must have, because the cell was completely dark. The sun was gone. The only light they had came from the small window to the hallway. Torches flickered, sending more shapes dancing around the room. O'Neill closed his eyes to them, taking away one less source of movement.

He was shocked awake by another emission from the complex. His senses were on fire, alert again to his surroundings. Avedra rested against the far wall, his arms folded against the cold of the stone and the night. O'Neill envied the man's immunity against the toxins in the water more than ever. Avedra should have been treated to all the fun.

It dawned on Jack, then, that he had gone unconscious. Time had passed. So might have Carter and Teal'c's attempt to free them from the cell. He swallowed hard, pushing down the spasms in his throat. "How long have I been out?" he said in Avedra's direction.

"Not long," came the quiet reply. "You needed to rest, so I did not wake you. Doctor Jackson has been drifting in and out, as well."

O'Neill checked on Daniel whose mouth was open in a gaping manner, his breaths coming in a rasping effort. Jack saw the beads of sweat on his friend's forehead, the body's effort to cool itself down amid the raging battle going on inside it.

Jack's head lolled backward against the wall, his strength to keep it upright sapped to the bare minimum. It made a small thump as it landed flat against the stone once more. He licked at his dry lips again, regretting it the action for waves it brought in his flipping stomach. He could taste the stagnate water on his skin.

"So, nothing spectacular happened while I was out?"

"If you are asking if our rescue came, then you did not miss it with your sleep."

"Comforting," Jack managed. There was a thought worming its way through the back of his mind that Carter and Teal'c were not coming to get them out of the cell, that Neja would have them until they died there. "They'll be here," he said aloud, more in an effort to assure himself than anyone else around him. "Yeah, any time now."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Carter's heart felt a surge of hope when she saw O'Neill's head pop up like a prairie dog in the window. She had yet to see Daniel, and there was another face that appeared in the window. It looked like Avedra, but she couldn't be sure. The bottom line was that at least O'Neill was alive, and he probably knew where Daniel was in general if they were not together.

The sun sank behind the ridge of the valley, blanketing the land in total darkness once more save the glow of the complex and the bright flashes every time the maltak overloaded. She had learned quickly to shield her eyes once the pulses began building. Just before the overload sprang forth, she could hear three distinct but quiet pops. Then the maltak would fire off its arc at the Stargate.

She wanted in the worst way to check on Antalus, but she had to be at the ready for Teal'c's signal to make the run for the cell. There would be no time to waste once the guards were distracted from the complex. They would come running with the second explosion that would presumably knock the bars off the window. Then there was the whole issue of getting everyone out of the cell and into the hills where they had a chance to hide.

Somewhere along the way, she would try to meet up with Teal'c. She was not going to leave anyone behind. Not ever again, and certainly not someone who had been by her side in both battle and peace. She would never leave anyone behind, even, she thought, in the face of a direct order. There would be no more Wheelers in her memory, no more nightmares, no more regrets, no more guilt that would never be quelled.

She put on her night vision goggles once more, looking toward the hills for any sign of Teal'c. He would be hidden. That was his way, especially since the Goa'uld had night vision technology of their own that far exceeded that of the Tauri. She thought it curious that they had not been captured at all given the technology gap that existed between the two races. Didn't Neja have thermal detection systems?

On the other hand, Neja was a system lord on a budget. He was buying what he had. Like the cheap construction of his "palace", perhaps he lacked the resources or funds to outfit his troops with the latest and greatest Goa'uld technology had to offer. He had the basketball, but he didn't have the hoop. Whatever the reason, Carter was not about to begrudge the advantage it gave SG-1. If it meant they could hide using conventional warfare tactics, so be it. She was not about to apologize for it.

Antalus suddenly appeared in the stairwell leading to the second level. He was crouched down and careful not to expose his presence to the outside world. She waved for him to approach, motioning that he should keep his body low to the floor and use the consoles in the staging area for cover. He did so and was soon at her side where they could talk.

Carter pulled out a canteen and offered it to him. He accepted and took a deep drink from it.

"I have done all I can do with the cycles to repair them," he said, returning the canteen to her. "They are too badly damaged, though. They are being disabled with every emission."

"Is that the popping noise I'm hearing?"

"Yes," he confirmed with a nod. "You're hearing the cylinders explode."

"Were you able to figure out how long we have before this thing goes?"

Antalus took a quick peek over the console at the compound outside. Carter gently tugged on his sleeve until he was safely out of sight. He brought his attention back to her. "Yes and no."

"Which is the yes part?"

"Given the exponential loss of cylinders with each emission, the overload will reach capacity in approximately two hundred overloads."

"Okay, that seems like a good amount of time to get something done. So, what's the 'no' part?"

Antalus sighed in frustration. "Minerals unique to this world are used in the control cylinders to inhibit the level of power produced by the maltak's reactor. Otherwise, we could not stop the transport of materials through the wormhole to an exact destination."

"You'd be extending the wormhole."

"Precisely. The destination coordinates are carefully calculated so that an object materializes on the other side in an exact location. Without controlling the power level, we would overshoot the destination by entire worlds." He paused, making sure he was not losing her.

Carter urged him on. "Okay, I follow you so far."

"The control cylinders share a common receptacle of the minerals. The system is redundant in that, if one cylinder fails, another will pick up its task. In order to compensate for the taskload, the cylinder will use an amount of minerals equal to that of two cylinders plus half the amount for one cylinder to compensate for the increased work required." He paused. "The system is currently running at over twice the normal limit, and the taskload is increasing with each emission."

"And if the minerals run out, the system will fail a lot faster than two hundred overloads?"

Antalus only nodded. Carter had painfully grasped his entire concept and its implications. She dared to ask the final question. "So, how long does that leave us?"

"One hundred cycles at the most."

She did a quick calculation in her head. Given his estimates, that left them with just over four hours to do whatever it was they were going to do to get off Beman or at least get a safe distance away before the maltak leveled everything around it.

"How do you know so much about this thing?" she asked, nodding toward the reactor that pulsed again.

He squinted at it, and it was very hard to decide if it was a look of admiration or disgust as he peered into the glowing and pulsing white light. "I helped design it. Of all the things I could have created with my gifts of knowledge and foresight, I created a monster for a monster." He looked turned his head from it and focused back on Carter. "My people were carefully chosen by Lord Neja to build his technologies. It was no accident, I assure you. Nor was his slaughter of the outlying settlements. It was systematic until he eventually took over the main gathering. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late."

"But how did he know to separate your builders from the rest of the population?"

A scowl crawled across his face as he pondered the answer. "Of that I am not sure. However, he managed to keep those of us vital to the construction of his weapons alive and unharmed." He paused. "The rest, he killed."

Carter could envision the slaughter. She had seen it herself. Jolinar had certainly witnessed it. Sometimes, their memories collided and created one horror on top of another.

"Antalus, I want you to take the tunnel into the hills. You'll be safer there."

"My people will not be, though," he countered. "I must remain here and keep trying to bring the reactor under control. If I do nothing, my people will surely die. At least this way, I will have done everything I could to save them."

She wanted to put up a fight. She knew she would lose with the old man, but he had his mind set on staying, remaining to his probable death and that of the entire race of people who had come to Beman as explorers. They were so much alike, his people and SG1. They wanted the same things. Neither group wanted to die, and neither was willing to capitulate to the whims of one man, one tyrant. Neither was immune to the sacrifice of life for liberty and freedom. Antalus was most likely about to die for that very principle.

He put his hand gently on her arm, then to her face, cradling it in his hand. "You are not leaving me here to die, Samantha Carter," he comforted, as though reading her mind "I stay of my own will for my people."

She looked into his eyes. They were honest and practical, as was the man to whom she was speaking. "We'll come back for you if we can," she managed, though it was unlikely there would be anything left to rescue once the maltak went. Maybe even the Stargate would be melted down into a heap of metal.

"I believe you will," he said, as if it were a revelation. He gave a small smile, then said, "I must return to the lab and continue to work on the reactor. Be safe and find your friends." He then crawled to the stairwell and disappeared again.

In a short moment she was alone, lost in a silent room that billowed light until another emission shot off toward the gate. She took a moment to pull herself together, to get strong in mind and body in order to be ready for Teal'c's impending signal. She checked her pack and found two wrapped blocks of C4 right where they should be. She broke the one block apart into smaller chunks to be applied to the bars of the cell. She would wire them all together and blast the metal off in one shot. The goal was to take the foundation holding the bars with it so the men inside could easily climb out of the window. It wasn't the first time she had used C4.

Carter had to be honest – she loved C4. It was one hell of a chemical compound that did so much with so little. Malleable like clay, it could be molded to whatever the target was, and it would stick. It was Play-Do for warmongers.

She finished her preparations of the explosive and lined them up in the pocket of her vest along with the primer cord and detonator. Her pack was back on her back, and she was sitting again, watching and waiting. The night sky shone through the transparent ceiling of the maltak. Tiny stars fought through the glow of the reactor, shimmering against the shield. She rested against the housing of the console, watching the sky for the signal.

The minutes counted down to the rendezvous time with the shuttle. The appointed pickup time came and went. It made no difference, though. There was no way she would leave her team behind. She would never do that, even if she had safely secured Avedra. She looked up to the sky again, looking for any sign of the shuttle passing overhead. She doubted she would see it in plain sight, but she watched for it anyway, wondering if it had come for them at all.

A shot from a staff weapon cut vertically into the night. She was on her feet with it, just in time to see a series of explosions taking place in the hills. Teal'c must have been wiring the entire time he had been gone. They were timed explosions, giving the illusion of flanking attacks. There was commotion in the compound as Neja's guards began rallying to the point of invasion.

Carter pulled down the goggles on her head and quickly moved toward the shield, carefully waiting her time to exit it and make a run for the cell where O'Neill had been seen. A squad passed alarmingly close to her location, but she was waiting in the shadows created by the console. They did not see her.

She took a split second to look at the shield. Antalus had promised that she would be able to walk right through it. He seemed to know what he was talking about when it came to the maltak, and she felt she should trust him. Still, she slipped her knife from its sheath and tossed it carefully in front of her. It passed through the blue shell with a quiet fizzing sound, landing on the grass outside.

She sucked in a deep breath, hoping the fizzing sound wasn't that of the shield frying the knife with deadly voltage. She had to chance it. There was no choice. In the first clear break she saw in anyone observing the maltak, she made a run for it, slipping through the shield in one long stride. She ran toward the cellblock, her rifle at the ready. Carter slid down beside the wall in a crouch and made her way toward O'Neill's cell, keeping low and out of sight as much as possible.

When she got there, she peered down inside the cell, seeing one man on his feet but no sign of either Daniel or her commanding officer. She looked at the one man, seeing quite clearly that it was the man they had all come to rescue.

"Avedra?"

"Yes!" he answered jubilantly. He walked to the bars and pulled himself up to face her. "You have to get us out of here. Your friends are very sick."

"Where are they?"

Avedra looked down. "Here, against the wall."

"Move them away from the window. I'm going to blast these bars and get you guys out of there."

He stepped down from the window. She immediately began placing her blocks of C4 on the bars of the window, wiring each one consecutively into the detonator. She glanced up every few moments and watched as Avedra dragged O'Neill and Jackson to the far wall and propped them up side by side. Even in the green glow of the night vision, both men looked terrible.

She quickly finished placing the C4 and warned Avedra to stay back. She, herself, stepped to the side. A moment later, she detonated the explosive, sending spittles of foundation flying into the air. Avedra was prepared. He had O'Neill up and moving the moment the blast was done, shoving him through the window. O'Neill was beginning to perk up, awakening to the situation. He tried as best he could to help.

Carter grabbed him under the shoulders and pulled him out of the window. He landed half on her, and then she felt the burning of his skin against her hand. He was shivering and his breathing was shallow, even in the face of his exertions to get out of the window.

Next, it was Daniel's turn. He seemed worse off than O'Neill, not quite as alert to being shoved upright through the cell wall. He groaned, dead weight in Carter's arms as she pulled him to freedom. Then it was Avedra's turn. He held out a hand for her to grasp. She took it and pulled hard, lifting the man through the window. He fell to the ground, panting and in apparent pain. She would have seen if he were injured if there was time. As it was, they were tiptoeing through a minefield of sorts, behind enemy lines and breaking all the rules of sane warfare.

As she got to her feet, she extended her hand to Avedra to help him. He took hold of it and stood. Together the two managed to get O'Neill and Jackson upright and ready to move. The logical thing to do would have been to head for the nearby cover of the forested hills that ran along the back of Neja's palace. Her instincts, though, said to go the other way. They would look to the cover of the nearest hills first. She might be able to buy them some time if they went the opposite direction, the tactic least expected. There were dips in the land where they could hide if they had to in a pinch. She wrapped Daniel's arm around her shoulder and began heading for the far side of the valley. They would do an end-around to the gate, moving just inside the tree line on the far side of the valley. It was darker and there were better places to hide.

"Are you certain you want to go that way?" Avedra asked, taking charge of O'Neill.

"We don't have time to circle this valley to get to the gate. We only have four hours before that maltak goes. If we're not out of here by then, we're in big trouble."

"We will not be able to move quickly. The patrols will see us."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "Look, we have to make a run for it. There's no choice. I'm willing to risk a straight shot to the gate over doubling travel time. We should be fine if we keep our heads down."

Avedra looked at her decisively. "Very well."

"Ready?" she asked, not giving him time to form any secondary arguments. When he told her he was, she opened the holster on her thigh and withdrew the nine-millimeter. "You know how to work one of these?" she asked, handing it to him.

"Your Colonel O'Neill called it 'point and click' technology. Seems simple enough."

Even in the face of adversity, Sam gave a small chuckle at the appearance of funny moments. "Yeah, it's that simple."

She checked on O'Neill briefly. If it was possible to be unconscious and standing, he had accomplished it. "Time to go, sir," she assured him. Then they set off across the village to the other side of the valley.

Avedra kept pace with her, despite being lagged by O'Neill's lethargic running. Daniel had finally started to come around, awakening to their situation and the fact that they were making a run for it. He tried to help as much as he could, but he too was burning with fever. It was a wonder either of them were in any condition to travel.

They used the buildings in the village as cover as long as they could before they were forced to run across open field. After three hundred yards, the entire party was growing too tired to move. They had to take a rest, Carter admitted. She begrudged herself the need to get Daniel off her shoulder for a moment. They came upon a small trench in the land. It was deep enough to conceal them from horizontal detection in the valley. Anything higher would be a different story. They could only hope that Teal'c was drawing enough attention his way to give them a straight shot back into the hills.

Avedra lay on his back, panting with his exertions to keep O'Neill moving. Carter was not faring any better as she slipped out of her pack to cool down. O'Neill and Jackson were two heaps of flesh that looked as though they had been strewn on the ground. Their arms came to rest where they had been dumped.

Carter removed a canteen from her belt and coaxed O'Neill to sit up. He looked horrible to her. His skin was still on fire, and the dampness of the cell that had permeated his clothes was now replaced by perspiration. His eyes looked gaunt in the pale light emanating from the village. "Here, sir, take a drink."

"Can't," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Stomach's not going to handle it."

"You have to try, sir. You're badly dehydrated. We have a long way to go before I can give you some more."

He gave in to her commands, taking small sips from he canteen. She could see him forcing it down his throat, and she could only imagine the fight he was putting up to keep the liquid down. She slid over to Daniel and repeated much the same process, only his resistance was a little more ardent. He was much further gone than O'Neill was. His exposure to the sickness seemed worse. Or perhaps it was that O'Neill was more stubborn. In the grand scheme of their situation, it didn't matter much. Both men were in dire straits, and the fun had only begun.

O'Neill took a deep breath in an effort to quell his desire to gag. When he calmed, he asked, "What's our situation, Major?"

She returned to his side to speak with him. "It's not going exactly going according to the game plan, sir. Teal'c is drawing the guards into the hills so we can make a run for it over here."

"The shuttle?" he asked, his teeth chattering slightly.

"Came and went. We're going to have to gate out of here unless the Tok'ra have had a change of heart and are willing to risk it for us."

"Pigs . . . fly . . . " he breathed.

She gave a brief smile at O'Neill's sarcasm. "Yes, sir." Carter looked at him for a long moment, the seriousness of the condition returning. "We're going to make it back, Colonel."

His eyes focused on her finally. "I know we will, Major."

Daniel had curled up into a ball again, and Carter nearly loathed the task of untangling him. It meant that he would hurt, that he would be torn from the only position that seemed to bring comfort only to be dragged up into the hills surrounding the valley.

That, of course, begged the next question – where were they going? The better hiding places in the hills were far too high ask O'Neill and Jackson to climb. They were having a hard enough time on flat ground. Cliffs were completely out of the question. Or perhaps they could make one small set of cliffs that would lead to the cave Antalus had shared with her and Teal'c.

She scanned the hills, looking for its approximate location and finding it. It would be a perfect launching point for their run to the gate if they could just make it there. It would give Jack and Daniel time to rest, and she could even take a look at Avedra's side and tape it to make travel a little easier. From there, they could make a line for the tunnel entrance and go back into the belly of the whale, so to speak. Then they'd only have to go a short way to the gate. They'd activate it and step through and be on their way home, package in tow.

_Ludicrous_, flashed through her mind, followed closely by, _Insane_. And it was, she knew. The planned means of leaving Beman were disappearing one by one. Someone had been fibbing to the SGC, and she could not quiet the image of Anise coaxing SG-1 to do her bidding. If Anise was the culprit, then what did that make Avedra? He seemed rather calm considering they were trying to outrun serpent guards with two people who could barely walk. The questions buzzed around her head as she nearly force-fed O'Neill and Jackson more water.

On the other hand, she reasoned, Avedra would not have been sent on a mission if he were apt to shrivel up at the first sign of trouble. No, the Tok'ra could not afford to fail in such areas. They would send someone they could trust, someone who would get the job done. If her father was as strong a voice in the resistance as everyone was saying, then he would be the first to send the best and the brightest to get such vital information.

She had to shake the questions out of her mind. Even though they kept appearing with a vengeance, there was no time to consider the conspiratorial answers at that particular moment. There was no more time to rest, either. They had to start moving again to gain the full advantage of night. Carter put her pack back on and secured the canteen back in her web belt. She stepped over O'Neill and got down next to Daniel.

His glasses were skewed to the side. She straightened them, then sat him up. His condition seemed to be worsening the more the minutes ticked by. "Come on, Daniel. We have to go."

"Just let me stay here," he begged. "I can't go any further."

"Yes, you can," she said adamantly. "We're getting the hell out of here, and that means you, too. Don't make me pull rank on you."

"But I'm not in the military," he automatically protested as he had on so many other occasions.

"You've just been drafted. Now, get up," she ordered, pulling him into a standing position.

Avedra already had O'Neill ready to travel. He looked at her again, not saying anything. Either he was deferring to her command of the mission or he was not a man of many words. The Tok'ra were by no means vociferous, but she would have gladly welcomed some ideas from him about their situation. He offered none, though. Carter decided to take it as a vote of confidence rather than an omission of cooperation. The man was helping all he could by practically carrying O'Neill. She was not in a position to ask him to do more than that at the moment.

The tree line was not far. A hundred yards or so, and they were soon in the cover of complete darkness, swallowed whole by the black of the forest. The ground was soft, making their steps quiet and undetectable. An occasional branch would snap, but that could not be helped. They had to keep moving at a steady pace if they were going to make a run for the cave.

The heat was beginning to take its toll on Carter. She was hot and tired, and the whole hiding out routine was making her cranky. Her concerns fell to Jackson and O'Neill once more as they moved in unison toward the higher areas of the hills. More explosions went off in the distance, followed by the maltak's venting at regular intervals.

Her hand started throbbing again. Her ring finger, in particular, was pulsing with pain. She had to keep using the bandaged hand to hold Daniel up so that her good hand could go to the P90 if the need arose. Daniel was holding his own for the most part, but he was dependent on her to keep from falling.

She stood at a crossroads in the forest. Paths that cut up the hillside would have made travel easy. Again, though, the guards used the trails. It would leave her team wide open to attack. By the same token, it would speed up their trek up the mountainside.

Avedra set O'Neill gently to the ground, then joined her at her side. He looked up the trail, as well, pondering it. "I know what you are considering. We will have no defense should we be discovered by the patrols."

She was breathing heavily with her exertions to keep Daniel standing. Her whole body was beginning to feel like it had been beaten. Her legs ached nearly as much as her hand. "I know," she answered finally, still weighing the pluses and minuses of taking the trail. "We can't stay on rough terrain much longer, though. These guys aren't going to handle it."

"Agreed. Perhaps I should scout ahead while you rest here?"

"No," she answered resolutely. "We stay together. We came here to get you. I can't risk you going alone." She looked at him, her voice a little softer, realizing how harsh she must have sounded. "They need the information you have, and we're going to bring it home."

He looked back up the trail. Its outline was brought out by the moonlight seeping through the trees. "Where is it we are going?"

"There's a cave not too far from here. If we can make it there, we can give these guys a rest and figure out how to make it to the gate."

Avedra smiled slightly. "I wouldn't argue rest, certainly."

"Me either. So, let's get going. The sooner we get there, the better."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Their movement up the trail was slower than Carter had hoped, but it was much smoother than it would have been to traverse the rougher areas of the mountainside. The trail would suddenly become steep, impeding their progress to a snail's pace. They made up time, though, on the downgrades and flat portions.

Teal'c's activities in the distance faded off into silence with the exception of the rhythmic overload of the maltak. The guards would have figured out by then that there was no attack. There would be enough confusion that they would not know where to begin to look. Carter only hoped that Teal'c's evasion abilities were still in peak form. It looked like more guards were being sent into the hills to look for the attackers.

The cave was in sight, but Teal'c was not. She was considering contacting him by radio, but she would maintain silence until she could do it far enough away from the cave once O'Neill, Jackson and Avedra were safely tucked inside. Neja would be able to triangulate the position of the transmission, and that was not an advantage she was going to give him without a fight.

Daniel was becoming sluggish again, forcing her to carry more of his weight as they moved up the trail. She could feel the heat emanating from him as his fever raged. His torso seemed to be in an eternal shiver. Sam thought ahead to the supplies in the cave. She'd be able to care for everyone once they were inside the dark recesses of the mountain. They could warm up, and she could load them up on antibiotics and give something to reduce their fevers. They had to rest. There was no question about that. What remained to be seen was how long to stay within the confines of the cave once they got there. It would take time to get to the gate, especially with how slow they had been moving. According to her watch, they had already spent over an hour just making it to the hills. She wanted a maximum window of time to make a run for the gate.

She saw something move in the trees to her left. She stopped the party short and ordered everyone to take cover. Someone was out there. She cursed inwardly. They were so close to the cave, and now someone was between them and the goal.

Carter got down close to Avedra. "Stay here and keep these guys under cover. I'm going to go check it out ahead. I saw something move in the trees."

Avedra nodded his understanding. "Please be careful. I have no idea how the hell to get off this planet."

The joke was so deadpanned that it caught her off guard. Avedra gave a small smile afterwards, as though to say he understood that the entire mission had gone to hell in less than a few hours. It was his way of comforting her. Maybe he was the atypical Tok'ra Jack would like to have a beer with, she thought.

"I'll be back," she said, not able to contain her smile either.

She set off into the brush that ran on either side of the trail. She kept low, using whatever was there for cover. Carter saw the movement again in the distance and approached carefully. It had to be Teal'c, she repeated to herself over and over again. If it wasn't, then they were all in a lot of trouble.

Another warm front was moving through the area, creating more humidity as it passed. The thick air was like breathing under water as she hiked up the mountainside toward her target. When she was close enough, she took a knee behind a tree to watch for more movement. Her direction of travel had been dead-on. The night vision showed a large man moving with purpose in her direction. A staff weapon was at the ready. She kept her P90 ready to fire, just in case the figure was not the man she thought it might be.

"Major Carter," he whispered.

"Teal'c!" she whispered back with excitement.

They met up quickly, and Carter automatically scanned him for injury. "Are you all right?"

"I am well. I drew the patrols away from this area as much as I could. They will not be deceived for long. We must find a place of safety and form our plans of escape."

Longwinded, though he was, she knew exactly what he meant. "Yeah, we were making a run for the cave, too." Then she added, "The Colonel and Daniel are pretty sick. Avedra isn't looking too hot, either. They need to rest, but that maltak is going to blow in a few hours. Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it quick."

She turned and began making her way toward the place she had left the three men earlier. Teal'c followed close behind. When they reached the place on the trail, Avedra stood with a grimace. "Avedra, this is Teal'c. Teal'c, this is Avedra," she said, doing a quick introduction.

"Pleased," was all Avedra said before reaching down to get O'Neill on his feet again.

Carter moved to get Daniel up, then realized he was out cold. "Dammit," she muttered. Teal'c moved in and quickly scooped the younger man up, laying him across his broad shoulders in a fireman's carry.

They continued the journey to the cave in single file, with Carter taking point. They reached their objective with no resistance from the patrols. It appeared that Teal'c had drawn them far enough away to give them some breathing room. Still, she cleared the cave systematically before bringing everyone inside. They followed the curve of the cavern until they reached the camp that Antalus had shown them earlier.

She moved to the portable heater Antalus had unboxed earlier and managed to turn it on. A red glow began warming the cave. Teal'c moved closer and lay Daniel on the ground next to the device. The young man shuddered with fever again. She looked for Jack, then. Avedra had propped him against the wall near the heater. He looked worse now, too. Finally, she took a moment to check on Avedra. He looked to be in considerable pain as he slid down next to O'Neill.

She unfastened the straps to her pack and dropped it to the ground. Teal'c took a seat on a small boulder. Exhaustion was becoming an even greater enemy than the toxins in the soil or the patrols trying to kill them. Carter approached O'Neill and Jackson, kneeling down next to her commanding officer first. She took out her canteen and fed him more water. He was weak, barely able to swallow. A bit went down the wrong side, sending him into a fit of coughing.

"Easy, sir," she comforted, helping him to find a more comfortable position against the stone wall of the cavern.

Stepping over O'Neill, she bent down close to Daniel. He was pale, even in the glow of the heater. She felt his cheek and found his skin still hot to the touch.

She looked to Teal'c. "Can you get me the med kit out of my pack? He's really burning up."

Teal'c moved quickly to her pack and retrieved the box from inside. Carter had been trained to deal with basic medical emergencies in the field. She could bind a wound, even put in a stitch or two if needed, but what was wrong with Daniel and O'Neill went far beyond her capabilities. The best she knew to do was get some antibiotics and painkillers into them to bring down their fevers.

She injected penicillin into Jackson first, sending the needle deftly into his upper arm. She returned to O'Neill and followed suit with him, only he protested more and let go a mild curse as she emptied the contents of another syringe into his body. She removed Jack's wet BDU shirt, leaving him in the t-shirt underneath. The tremors in his body increased almost immediately, but she knew she had to make him cold in order to get his temperature down to a more acceptable level.

Teal'c moved toward Jackson and stripped him of the heavy uniform shirt, as well. Daniel's body was limp and unresponsive as his arms were forcefully slipped from the sleeves.

"Major Carter," Teal'c said, "it appears Daniel Jackson's fever is rising."

"I know," she answered, frustration seeping into her voice. "I've done what I can for now, but they need to be in the infirmary."

Finally, she approached Avedra and knelt down next to him. "How about you? You all right?"

"I'm the least of your worries, I assure you," he said with a gentle smile, echoing nearly the same words Antalus had told her a day earlier.

She took comfort in his care of the situation, but she pressed on for an answer. "Where are you hurt?"

He looked down at his torso. "Oh, a few broken ribs."

She felt his side, moving her hand away quickly when he winced. "Let me take a look at it. At least I can tape them so it's easier to move."

She finished caring for Avedra as much as she could. She picked up her rifle again and told Teal'c to rest while she scouted outside the cave. Carter slipped on the night vision goggles once more and made her way to the entrance.

She climbed up to the top of the hill and peered down in the direction of the gate through her binoculars. The night sky was sliced open with electrical emissions from the protection grid. There were numerous rumblings of thunder as the bolts cut through the air surrounding the gate. She watched from a distance, her mind timing the blasts like a child under the covers hiding from a thunderstorm.

_Flash. One … blastoff._

She looked down at her watch, timing the silence for accuracy before the next flash. Two minutes, forty-seven seconds. She timed it again with the same result.

Taking a closer look at the compound around Neja's palace, Carter could see no signs of transportation, such as a shuttle. If there was one, Neja was keeping it well-hidden, perhaps in the courtyard behind the walls of the fort.

The maltak shot off another blast at the gate. A plan began forming. If they could just get close enough to the gate, they could make a run for it. The hard part would be eluding Neja's forces in order to get close enough to make that run. Adding to the problems would be hoisting Jack and Daniel to the gate and throwing them through. Avedra, she was sure, could make haste if it would save his life. Either she or Teal'c would have to remain behind and provide cover fire while the other made the run for the gate with Daniel and Jack one at a time. Either way, it was risky, probably deadly.

She was about to start back down toward the cave when she spotted activity inside the maltak, itself. She zoomed in on it with her binoculars to find guards literally throwing Antalus through the shielding. He staggered a few steps until he was brought under control by more guards, some remaining inside the maltak. One of the outside guards struck the old man from behind, sending him reeling to the ground.

Her heart was racing as the scene played out through the night vision. She zoomed in on Antalus, seeing the horrible things being done to him. They swarmed around the man like a pack of wild animals, each taking a turn at administering a blow. It was almost surreal how merciless they were. They would not stop. It seemed to go on forever before they finally stepped back from the broken and bleeding body in front of them. A large gash had been opened on his head, covering his face with blood. His hands moved lethargically at his sides, his awareness cut to a minimum.

She saw a guard aim a staff weapon at Antalus. Another moved in and nudged the old man's head upright with his foot so Antalus could see death coming. There were parting words spoken, then the parting shot from the staff weapon that hit point blank in the chest, killing him.

Carter's eyes snapped shut at the image before her. They had killed a defenseless old man for the sheer enjoyment of it. Or perhaps it was revenge. Either way, she had witnessed yet another murder by those who desired power at any cost. It was not just the act of zealots or mercenaries. It was something much more. It was hatred at the highest heights of power, an unyielding machine of terror that ate through entire civilizations to feed its hunger.

She opened her eyes again and looked one more time at Antalus as he lay dead in front of the maltak with the remains of his people. It was possible he had bought her and her team time. If he did, it was now or never that she would use his sacrifice.

Large patrols assembled in the yard near the maltak and began to disperse into the hills. It was clear Neja wanted SG1 caught. Apparent, too, was that he had no idea the maltak was going to level his palace in less than an hour. He assigned all but a small band of guards to sweep the hills. The remaining guards moved back inside the palace.

It was time to go.

She made her way down the hill again, back to the members of her team. Jack and Daniel were out cold, their bodies slumped against the cave at awkward angles. Teal'c stood as she made her way back toward the band. "Antalus is dead, and the guards are inside the maltak."

Teal'c said nothing but closed his eyes briefly, as though to commend a dead soul to a better resting place. "I am sorry."

She almost thanked him but thought better of it. It would have come out wrong, at least to her. "Teal'c, I think I may have a way out of here."

"I am eager to hear your plan, Major Carter. Our situation is becoming critical."

She sighed. "Yeah, I noticed." She turned to check on Daniel once more. "It doesn't look like Neja has any spare shuttles laying around. So I started timing the arcs from the maltak. I know it's overloading, but I counted two minutes and forty-seven seconds between emissions. It's going to be close, but I think it's enough time to send the GDO signal and get at least two through the gate before we have to get out of the way."

"It is a plan of great risk. If the time between emissions does not remain constant . . ."

Carter nodded. "I know, but I'm pretty sure we're out of options. The SGC isn't going to send through a rescue team, the shuttle's AWOL, and we have to get Avedra back. That's what we came here to do. All we have to do is get down to that gate and dial home so we can get the hell off Beman."

"How will we evade Neja's guards?"

She sighed and grimaced slightly. "That's going to be the tricky part. We'll need to buy ourselves enough time to dial in, open the gate and get three people who aren't exactly mobile through it. The minute we start dialing, Neja's going to know where we are. I'm figuring one of us will probably have to provide cover fire and then make a run for the gate before the next arc fires from the maltak." Sam turned to Teal'c, satisfied that she had done all she could for Daniel. "Now, from what I can tell, the energy is directed straight at the gate in a synchronous wave. As long as we're not directly in front of the gate when it fires, we should be okay."

Teal'c cocked his head to the side slightly, his eyebrow raised in what appeared to be amusement. "And if we are?"

"Well," she answered, "let's just say they'll be sweeping us up with a broom and dustpan."

"Then we must endeavor to make the journey through the gate in a timely manner."

She couldn't help but smile. Teal'c had a poetic grasp of the obvious. Still, it was helpful if someone voiced the objective, which he seemed to do with an air of determination that bolstered them time and again. "We better get going before Neja's guards figure out there's a cave here. We have about forty minutes until the maltak overloads completely. I'm figuring our best bet is a straight shot toward the gate. We can use the woods for cover as we go. There's just no time to go another way with these guys being so out of it," she said.

"Agreed," Teal'c said, turning toward the team members on the ground.

Sam knelt down next to O'Neill. She felt his face, which was still hot. "Colonel, I need you to wake up." She tapped his face lightly. "C'mon, sir. It's time to go." Still there was no response, just a groggy lolling of his head. Her frustration mounted. They had to go. There was no way about it, and she and Teal'c couldn't carry them. "Jack, open your eyes. Open them!"

O'Neill coughed lightly, his head perking up at her use of his first name. His eyes focused on her after a moment, a wry smile creeping to the corners of his mouth. "It's good to know you care, Major," he managed.

Sam turned to Daniel, rousing him with a little more effort. "Daniel, Colonel, we're very close. It's not too far. We need to you help us get you to the gate. It's only about a half a mile, but we're being tracked."

"How many?" O'Neill asked, although his mind was still thick with exhaustion.

"Well, I don't think Neja's sparing any expense on our part." She opened her canteen. "Here, sir – take a drink." O'Neill took a mouthful, then another, his hand grasping for the canteen. Sam's heart sank as she took it away from him, forcing the bottle out of his hands to give Daniel a turn. If it were within her power, she would have given them a swimming pool full of drinking water. As it was, there just wasn't that much to go around, not even with the stream in the back of the cave that Antalus said was still pure. She simply could not risk doing more damage.

"Avedra, how are you doing?" she asked, checking on her charge.

His breathing was labored, something she had not noticed beforehand. "Not to spoil all the fun, but I am not certain I can carry Doctor Jackson."

Teal'c approached them after checking the mouth of the cave once more. "We must go soon, Major Carter. There are three patrols moving up the mountain. They will be here momentarily."

"Okay," she said. "You take the colonel and I'll get Daniel."

They both moved in unison, picking up their charges and helping them along. Teal'c stopped long enough to get Avedra to his feet and walking. Stealth was pointless now. Speed was what counted. They had the terrain on their side descending the mountain toward the gate. The ground was slick with forest debris, causing the occasional loss of footing. More than once, Sam's back was wrenched keeping Daniel upright and walking. Avedra kept falling behind, causing Teal'c to slow the pace to allow him to catch up. They had to move faster if they were going to make it to the gate before the guards caught up with them. So far, the grid emissions seemed constant, much to Sam's relief. She kept resetting the timer on her watch, keeping count of the time between the waves of energy projected at the gate. The sonic booms in the air were becoming deafening as they approached, but they were undaunted by the fact. The desire to go home surpassed the ringing in their ears.

The ground began leveling out below them, easing the task of walking on Jack and Daniel. Avedra seemed to get a second wind and managed to keep within a few steps of Teal'c. They were only a hundred yards or so from the gate when the hum of the protection grid filled the air. It occurred to Sam in a flashing thought that they were now too close for comfort to the massive machine.

"Get down!" she yelled. On instinct, they all dropped to the ground as the bright light of the grid ballooned out, sending an ice blue wave of electricity toward the gate. The air pressure seemed to divide then collapse on them as the snap and roar of the emission belted out around them.

The pulse was over as soon as it had begun. The grid powered down into darkness again except for a few operational lights.

Sam slapped the timer on her watch, starting a countdown sequence to the next emission. She was on her feet again, pulling Daniel up into a standing position. Teal'c helped O'Neill to stand, taking a moment once again to bring Avedra upright and ready to move.

She led them to toward the right side of the gate where she was willing to gamble the emission wouldn't go on the next pulse. Up until now, the pulse remained attracted solely to the ring of the gate, not the area surrounding it. They had to be close enough to have a shot at dialing in and getting through before the next firing. If she was wrong, the pulse would arc toward them, attracted to their bodies, frying them all into nothingness.

Daniel struggled against her pace, his legs refusing to cooperate. "C'mon, Daniel, just a little further. Don't give up now," she encouraged. At times, she was literally dragging him along, his body hanging on hers with its full weight.

She checked her watch, then behind her. Avedra was closer now, moving faster than Teal'c and O'Neill. "Fifty-six seconds!"

The information seemed to motivate them all. Legs began moving better toward a small gully twenty yards to the right of the DHD. Sam led them farther out than was probably necessary, but she found a certain comfort in taking them as far away from the grid as possible given their needs.

"Twenty-eight seconds!"

They descended ten feet inside the gully, moving along its ridge toward the gate. Twenty yards to go. They needed to be somewhat next to the gate if they had a chance to get everyone through. Daniel stumbled on the rocks, slamming his hand into the ground. He gave a shallow whimper as a laceration on his palm began to bleed. Sam pulled him along. There was simply no time to hurt. When they got back through the gate, Daniel could cry all he wanted without any admonishment from her. Right now, though, they needed to haul ass.

The hum from the grid grew, signaling another impending shot of electricity. The air was thick with the smell of ozone, reminding Sam of a summer rainstorm; but this was no rainstorm. It was just a giant wave of awesome power hungry to destroy anything in its path.

She let Daniel sit for a moment while she scrambled to the top of the gully to get a fix on the DHD. They were right below it. She checked her watch. Five seconds.

"Cover your ears! Fire in the hole!" she yelled, catapulting herself down the jumble of rocks. She covered Daniel's body with hers while Teal'c shielded O'Neill and Avedra just as the grid let loose again. The sound was all around them, even inside them as it finished. The gully provided them some protection, as though sending the brunt of the thunder over their heads and not right at them. Like warriors entrenched in battle, they covered their heads until the silence took over once more.

Sam wasted no time, anticipating the blast. She was on her feet in a shot, restarting the countdown on her watch and telling Teal'c to bring Jack and Daniel up toward the DHD. Avedra tried to help Daniel to move as best he could, but the two of them together didn't make one good body. Still, they managed to make it up half the gully hill before Teal'c returned to assist them.

She started dialing the sequence for the SGC, punching at the symbols with determination. She had plugged them in a thousand times before, her hand moving of its own accord. It was time to go home. The problem was the gate wasn't dialing the symbols fast enough. Whether the ring had somehow been damaged by the maltak or that it just seemed to be moving slower, Sam couldn't help but curse it under her breath. "Move it, damn it."

The seconds on her watch ticked down. Two minutes, seven seconds and counting. Four more chevrons to go. The next locked into place, sending the wheel of symbols circling once more.

Two minutes, two seconds; three chevrons to go.

Avedra kept Jack and Daniel on their feet, supporting them in their efforts to stay upright.

One minute, fifty-seven seconds; two chevrons.

"C'mon, c'mon," Sam muttered, urging the ring to move quickly through the remaining keys. She pulled out the GDO, preparing to punch in the identification sequence the moment the wormhole was established.

One minute, fifty-two seconds; one chevron to go.

"Major Carter," Teal'c said rather calmly, "the guards have found us. Get Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson through the gate. I shall attempt to draw their fire." And with that, Teal'c knelt down, readying his staff weapon.

"Teal'c!" Sam screamed, only to see the blast of a staff weapon land a few feet to her right. She dove down behind the DHD for cover just as the gate opened. The familiar bubbling flare that emanated from the gate pushed out like a finger through a diamond ring, then folded back on itself into a glowing wall of water. She aimed the GDO at the gate and sent the code for SG-1, opening the iris on the other side of the wormhole.

The incoming fire from the guard units wasn't too intense at first. It was enough to keep them all ducking for cover, with Sam getting off the occasional return fire from behind the DHD. All she wanted was to get the hell off this world and back to her own, and damn anyone for trying to keep her from doing just that.

There was a lull in the enemy fire. She moved to the edge of the gully and hauled O'Neill up over the edge, running him toward the gate. Rounds from staff weapons sailed over their heads, aimed to high to hit moving targets.

One minute, forty-one seconds.

The guards started firing with more vigor now as they moved closer to the team. Teal'c was steadfast in his position, aiming his shots with alarming precision. Carter pushed O'Neill down behind the DHD for cover. She returned fire at the guards, taking out the peripheral attackers as they managed to get around the maltak. She kept three of them pinned around the corner while Teal'c handled the ones approaching in the open field.

One minute, twenty-six seconds. It was time to go.

She reached for Jack, pulling him toward the shimmering wall of the open gate, hoping Avedra would follow suit with Daniel. Then, with every ounce of strength, she shoved Jack through, letting the gate's pull suck his body through the event horizon.

Avedra struggled to bring Daniel to his feet, managing to pull him along toward the gate. Daniel stumbled, still in a fog.

Fifty-six seconds before the next emission.

Avedra reached the gate with Daniel as more shots were exchanged between the guards and SG-1. He dragged Daniel up toward the gate and pushed him through, turning to fire off a few rounds from the nine-millimeter Carter had given him earlier. The Tok'ra then looked at her for a split second, knowing she would never leave Teal'c behind – knowing this had all been for him.

"Go!" she yelled, throwing him at the gate with two hands. She looked back for Teal'c, who began taking heavy fire. She could see the guards at the edge of the grid mechanism, stoically moving forward toward them despite Teal'c's dead-on aim at them. They fell, one after another, at the hands of a traitor to their ranks.

Twenty-four seconds.

Sam ran toward Teal'c, firing off short bursts to conserve the ammunition she had left. Teal'c heard the sounds of her approach, taking her cue that it was time to move. He stood, continually firing at the approaching forces. Together, he and Sam stutter stepped back toward the gate, not daring to turn their backs on the rapid munitions coming at them. Only at the last moment did they turn and hurl their bodies into the depths of the gate.

The gate screamed its trek through space, hurtling the body and souls of the two travelers across the galaxy toward home, back toward Earth. The snaking tube through which their consciousness sailed sent them spinning out of control until it all dissolved into the gate room of the SGC.

Sam was first to materialize, taking but a split second to recover from the trip. Teal'c stumbled into being behind her. They ran forward down the ramp, trying to put distance between themselves and the gate.

"Close the iris!" Sam screamed.

It was too late.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Darkness had swallowed her whole. It was warm and soothing and quiet. She nestled down into it, pulling it over her like a warm blanket on a cold morning. Somewhere in the distance there was noise that kept disrupting the overall peaceful rest she was getting being in the shell of unconsciousness.

She wished the noise would go away and let her rest. She was so tired after climbing mountains for the last two days. For once, she was comfortable. There were no rocks to climb, no hiding to be done. Whatever was going on around her was inconsequential. Sam didn't care, and she really didn't have the energy to find out if she should be caring that she was out of touch with reality.

A dim crack of light appeared before her eyes. She shut her eyes tight, blocking it out. She wanted to stay in the dark warmth of sleep, but her body was demanding she awaken. The noise that had been in the distance was louder now, a series of beeps and clangs and voices that grew in intensity. She would have kept her eyes shut, except there was a gnawing curiosity about why she was the way she was.

Suddenly, the memories came rushing back in a torrent. Teal'c, the guards, O'Neill, Jackson, Avedra. She tried to force her eyes open, pushing upward against the darkness she found so comforting just moments before. The lights were so bright. The rays cut into her eyes like knives. She struggled, fighting through the pain to reach the surface of consciousness. Her limbs curled with the hurt she felt. Her head was throbbing, pounding with each pulse of her heart.

Carter managed to get her eyes open more, finally able to make out blurred shapes. One of the shapes approached, and she instinctively knew it was Janet Fraiser. It was hard for Sam to focus on anything in particular, as though her eyes were not ready to follow the commands her brain was issuing.

Sam continued to fight her way to being fully awake. At last she was nearly there, able to bring Fraiser to clarity. There was concern etched on Janet's face, and Carter was not thrilled that it was most likely attributed to her.

Carter had so many questions that needed to be answered. Where was everyone? Had they all made it back through the gate? The last she could remember was seeing the patrols round the maltak and begin firing on Teal'c. Where was he? Had he made it?

"Sam, can you hear me?" Janet asked, leaning in close.

Carter swallowed hard and licked at dry lips. "Where's Teal'c?" she rasped.

"He's fine," the doctor assured. "You all made it through."

A wave of panic passed through Carter. She felt the sudden need to sit up and get out of the infirmary. She had to find her team. She had to make sure O'Neill and Jackson were getting enough water, that Avedra wasn't coughing up blood, that Teal'c had not been shot. "I've got to find them."

"Sam, they're fine. Try to relax," Janet said, keeping Carter prone.

Carter looked around the room, restless. "They were shooting at us. Teal'c . . . he . . . he was right behind me."

In low tones Carter could not decipher, Fraiser conveyed an order to a nearby nurse. "Sam, I promise you, they're fine. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are in the ICU only as a precaution until the flu bug they have passes. Teal'c and Avedra are already out of the infirmary."

Sam's mind was muddy with exhaustion and confusion. Somewhere in the equation of confusion, it dawned on her that she, herself, was in the infirmary. She had no idea how or when she had come to be there. "How did I get here?"

Janet seemed relieved that Carter had let go the urge to find O'Neill and the others. "An energy blast came through the gate before we could get the iris closed. You and Teal'c were thrown off the ramp and were knocked unconscious. You took quite a hit."

"How long have I been here?" If the aches coming to life in her body were any indication, it felt like years. Her hand was taking on a life of its own, the pain in her fingers seeming to pulse with every heartbeat.

"A little over a day. We had a hard time getting you to wake up, but I think you're going to be just fine."

"That's good," Sam said quietly. Her energy to keep up the conversation was waning fast. Janet was not the type to lie to a friend. She would have let Sam know if O'Neill and Jackson were worse off than reported. Guilt settled over Carter as she found herself too tired to be concerned with anything but sleep. She could not help anyone if she refused to get the rest her body was demanding.

She closed her eyes to the sounds and the light. Sleep was calling with insistence again. They had all been denied it so much over the previous seventy-two hours. Images of the mountainside kicked into view, and she worked to shut them off with determination. She had done that once before – dreamt she was on a mission, running and hiding and hiking and fighting all night long, so that she felt drained and exhausted at the sound of the clock buzzer the next morning.

It was time to make her mind a chalkboard that she could erase. She erased the images manually until there was nothing but a blank slate with no thoughts or memories or fears or nightmares. Soon, she was drifting off again in comfort, not caring about the world around her.

"About time you woke up."

Janet Fraiser's voice was clear and seemingly happy. Carter opened her eyes, then squinted hard. Her brain rebelled once more against the bright fluorescent lights of the infirmary. She struggled until she was able to open her eyes fully and view her surroundings. She saw no sign of Jackson or O'Neill, and that sent a wave of alarm through her.

"Where are they?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fraiser approached Carter's bedside and leaned over slightly. "Sam, they're fine. Remember what I told you last night? I have them in isolation only as a precaution until I'm sure the bug they have is out of their systems. Teal'c and Avedra are busy debriefing Hammond and the Tok'ra about Beman."

"I don't remember last night." She closed her eyes against a stab of pain that seemed to split her skull in half. "My head hurts."

Fraiser smiled. "Well, it should. You got thrown twenty-seven feet off the ramp."

Carter looked at Fraiser once more and managed a weak smile. "New record?"

The doctor smiled. "Yeah, they put up a chalk line for the rest of the teams to aim for when they come home."

The joke was lost as Carter's awareness grew, waking up to the world around her finally. Then the memories came. A pall washed over her as vivid images of Antalus being beaten and killed rose to the surface. Her hands balled into fists at the visions of his death, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She gasped for air, finding a lack of it to fill her lungs.

"Sam, talk to me. What's wrong?" Fraiser's countenance had shifted to one of concern again.

For a long moment, Carter was unable to speak. There were no words to express the emotions tumbling across her senses. She fought for more air, taking in big gulps to satisfy the void in her lungs. "He's dead. Antalus is dead," she said, her breathing staggered and labored.

Fraiser was quick to apply oxygen to get her patient to settle down and relax. "It's okay. Just take deep breaths."

The quiet hiss of oxygen and the cool flow of air calmed Sam's senses. She did as she was told and breathed deeply, letting her lungs fill again. No one except gate travelers knew what it was like to step into the void of a wormhole and give up the sensation of breathing. Carter felt that same sensation now, only it was in the infirmary and there was no reason to think that she was in a void of some sort. The images, though, were coming so fast, one after another. There was no stopping them. They kept replaying over and over, each one more vivid than the next.

Fraiser kept issuing soothing commands until Carter had calmed and was under control again. She removed the oxygen, allowing Carter to speak once more. "Oh, my God, Janet. They beat him so badly. He could have given us up, but he didn't. I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"It wasn't your fault, Sam," Fraiser soothed, grasping her friend's uninjured hand.

"I should have made him come with us. I should have taken him at gunpoint."

"Something tells me he would have stayed anyway," Fraiser consoled.

A quiet mist formed in Carter's eyes. She worked to blink it away, rolling her eyes up in an effort to mop up what might fall. "He died for us. We're here because he allowed himself to be killed."

"Maybe," Janet admitted quietly, "but if that's the reason, then he didn't die needlessly. He saved your team and maybe even worlds by allowing you to get Avedra back to the SGC."

Carter's eyes closed then, allowing the tears she had been holding at bay to finally roll down in a silent stream. "I should have done something," she whispered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

O'Neill and Jackson spent less time in the isolation ward than had been expected. With antibiotics and a few other tricks up Medical's sleeve, the two men were sniping at one another with vigor by the time they were released to go home for a while.

Jack's youthful spring had returned to his step, and aside from heaving his internal organs out for a day, the rest had been good. His meals were brought to him, and his comfort was attended to night and day by the medical staff. In exchange, he gave them blood samples, a debriefing and the occasional scan of some part of his body.

His tactics for getting released from the infirmary had remained solid – complain and be difficult until Fraiser got sick and tired of listening to him being a crab. Some might have labeled it whining, but if it got him out of the medical ward, any method was fair game. Daniel caught on, too, after being denied the request to go to his lab to "catch up on" his reading. Combining their efforts to get released did seem to hasten the process, even though Daniel looked less than fit to be let go from the care of the SGC's chief medical officer. His face still held a pallor that was slightly unsettling to those who knew him, but Fraiser was confident that would pass with a little rest and solid meals.

O'Neill had made it a point to check on everyone who had been on Beman, even Avedra. The inner workings of the SGC began absorbing the Tok'ra's information and applied it to simulations the moment the higher math could be done. Teal'c was offering what information he had, and all seemed to be going as planned. However, O'Neill noticed the curious absence of Carter in all the nerd math buzzing around the SGC. Twice, he had found her holed up in her lab working on something, but not really working at all. She seemed to just stare at what was in front of her, then come back to reality, as though her mind was a million light years away. And the next day was no different.

When he rounded the corner to her lab, he once again found her on the stool, sitting almost in a daze. Her dark shirt was blending her into the shadows of the room. It had gone on far too long for O'Neill to ignore it anymore.

"Carter, don't you have a social life or something?"

Her head snapped up, surprised at his entrance. "Sir, I'm sorry," she said, straightening. "I didn't see you come in."

"Yeah," he said with deliberate happiness, "I know." He walked over to the counter where she sat and looked down at the piece of electronics that had been dissected in front of her. "So, whatcha doing?"

Carter looked down uncomfortably at the exploded parts. "Actually, sir, I don't know. I kind of lost track where I was going with this," she said, casually pointing at the pieces with a hand still wrapped in bandages.

"Just my opinion, but it looks kind of broken."

"It is," she said, though her voice sounded tired, "I've been meaning to fix it for a while, but I just haven't had the time."

O'Neill pulled over a stool and sat down. "Carter," he said, curiously, "maybe my mistake, but you sound wiped out. Why don't you leave this stuff, head for the surface and breathe some real air?"

She smiled wryly. "We seem to have this conversation whenever some down time rolls around."

"Yes, we do, don't we? So, I ask you again - why don't you leave this stuff, head for the surface and breathe some real air?"

She looked at him, more serious now and eyes that were so tired. "The truth, sir?"

The mirth vanished from his voice, and he became totally focused on her. "Yeah, the truth."

Her gaze held steadfast to his. "Because if I go out that door . . . " She hesitated, seeming to contemplate the rest of her statement. Finally, she relinquished to herself to his trust. "If I go out that door, I'm not so sure I'd come back."

Jack raised a brow in curiosity. "As in a small vacation? A sabbatical?"

"No, sir," she said, shaking her head, "I mean I'd be leaving the SGC permanently."

Jack sat dumbfounded. She had blindsided him with the idea of leaving. He knew she had been restless lately, but so had everyone else. Then he remembered the whole Wheeler thing, and suddenly her ideas of leaving became logical. It made sense that she'd want to get away from the place that was eating her emotions alive. Add to that her experience with Antalus, and Jack could see that one might be pushed over the edge and encouraged to run like hell.

He heaved a sigh, picking his words to her very carefully. "Well, you can always leave, but I gotta warn you – it's a big world out there. Lots of dangerous stuff. Muggers, bank robberies – I'm telling you, it's just not safe."

She smiled at his sarcasm, knowing he was admitting her point. "I'll make sure I carry some mace."

His face fell to seriousness again. Sam was not hinting she wanted to leave. She was saying, he realized with a sinking heart, that she meant she was leaving for sure. He had to look away for a second. When he felt himself under control again, he looked at her. "Does Hammond know?"

"Yeah," she said. "I just have to give him the forms and my letter."

"Wow," Jack answered, giving in once more to his shock. "Daniel and Teal'c?"

Sam turned back to the parts on the table bitterly. "No, they don't know. I just haven't found the right moment to tell them, and I can't exactly dial up my dad to tell him, either."

"Carter, are you sure about this?"

She closed her eyes and grimaced, then concentrated on the parts again. "Right now, sir, it's about the only thing I am sure of. I know I need to move on from here and do whatever it is I'm supposed to do next in my life."

"Any ideas on what that is?"

She swiveled her chair toward him again. "A teaching position opened up at the Academy. I've been accepted for it, so I'll teach there a while until I get my bearings."

It was his turn to grimace. "I suppose you'll be having that kid we had in here for class?"

Carter laughed quietly. "Yeah, well, someone has to get her moving in the right direction. Who better than the one person she hates the most?"

She looked at him plaintively, as though seeking his approval, seeking his understanding of her emotions and situation. He decided in that moment to give her what she needed. "Sam, you do what you need to do. But I won't lie to you – I don't like it. I don't like breaking up good units."

Sam leaned on the counter, resting her weight on her elbows. "It wasn't an easy decision, sir. I wanted you to know that."

"I know," he answered gently.

"It's been an honor, sir."

"Yes, Major, it has."

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Epilogue**

Major General George S. Hammond

Stargate Command

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado

Sir:

Effective immediately, I am submitting my request for reassignment to the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs and respectfully request the termination of my active involvement in the Stargate Program. I understand that I will remain under the non-disclosure terms of my assignment until notified otherwise by an outstanding authority.

Per regulations, I am submitting all pertinent forms subject to my transfer and the redesignation of my MOS.

It has been an honor to serve under you and with those assigned to Stargate Command. I thank you for the opportunity to have been involved in this program.

Sincerely,

Major Samantha A. Carter

Stargate Unit 1


End file.
